The present investigation was designed to study the total mould
and yeast counts and Aflatoxin residues in a total of 60 random samples
of ready to eat chicken products which include Shawerma, smoked
chicken breast, Pane and grilled chicken (15 of each) were collected from
different localities under different sanitation levels at Cairo governorate.
The incidence of mould in examined ready to eat chicken meat products
samples were 12 (80%),8 (53.3%),15(100%),8(53.3%) and the total
mould count ranged from 0.5 x 10 cfu/g to 1.8x 102, 4.2 x 10 ±1.5 x 10,
0.5 x 10 to 2.3 x 10 and > 10 to > 10, with mean value of 3.4 x 10± 1.5 x
10, 4.5 x 10 ±1.5 x 10, 1.4 x 10 ± 0.2 x 10 and 0.5 x 10 ±0.2 x 10 cfu/g, for
chicken shawerma, smoked chicken breast, pane and grilled chicken,
respectively. While the results revealed that the incidence of yeast
contamination in examined ready to eat chicken meat product samples
were 0 (0%),15 (100%),0(0%),1(6.7%) for shawerma, smoked chicken
breast, panne and grilled chicken respectively. For moulds, the isolated
species were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Acremonium, Alternaria,
Aurobasidium, Cladosporium, Eupenicillium and Eurotium spp. while for
yeasts, the isolated species were Candida spp, Rhodotorula spp and
Debaryomyces spp. The results also indicated the mean ±SD of total
aflatoxin were 1.5 x10 ± 0.2 x 10, 3.2 ± 0.5, 4.3± 0.9 and 1.2 x10 ±
0.3µg/kg for shawerma, smoked chicken breast, panne and grilled
chicken respectively.