Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing microbiological quality of ready-to-eat prepacked sandwiches, in Crete, Greece

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Food Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The microbiological quality of pre-packed sandwiches, prepared by a company which had implemented the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points system, was assessed at retail level, in Crete, Greece. Totally, we analyzed 225 sandwiches (S1: ham, cheese; S2: ham, cheese, tomato; S3: tuna salad), for specific pathogens (Listeria monogytenes, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus) and hygiene indicators (Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Aerobic Colony Count-ACC). Pathogens were not detected. The E. coli numbers enumerated in day 0 (factory level) were found within acceptable levels < 100 cfu/g; limited samples had unsatisfactory values at the 3rd day of retailing storage (7%, 7%, and 27% > 100 cfu/g for S1, S2, and S3, respectively), which were further increased at the 7th day (20%, 33% and 53% > 100 cfu/g for S1, S2, and S3, respectively). The Enterobacteriaceae numbers mean log CFU/g were in the satisfactory or acceptable category with an increase in the range of 19.5–49.5% at the 7th day, nevertheless never exceeded the borderline of 4 log CFU/g. All ACC values were satisfactory or acceptable as no value higher than 7 log CFU/g was recorded. Overall there was a difference between the three sandwiches types, with S2 and S3, exhibiting higher levels than S1, possibly due to the extra ingredients. A number of corrective actions can be applied, as i.e. revision of cooking-chilling times, sanitizing procedures, staff hygiene practices and training etc.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angelidis AS, Chronis EN, Papageorgiou DK, Kazakis II, Arsenoglou KC, Stathopoulos GA (2006) Non-lactic acid, contaminating microbial flora in ready-to-eat foods: a potential food-quality index. Food Microbiol 23:95–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) (2000) Official Methods of Analysis, 17th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists International Gaithersburg, 481 N. Frederick Ave, Suite 500, MD 20877, USA

  • Appendini P, Hotchkiss J (2002) Review of antimicrobial food packaging. Innov Food Sci Emerg Technol 3:113–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne P (2002) 3rd Quarter National Microbiology Survey 2002 (NS3): Microbiological safety of pre-packed sandwiches. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. (www.fsai.ie/uploadedFiles/3rdQuarter_prepacked_sandwiches.pdf)

  • Caleb OJ, Mahajan PV, Al-Said FA, Opara U (2013) Modified atmosphere packaging technology of fresh and fresh-cut produce and the microbial consequences—a review. Food Bioprocess Technol 6:303–329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eleftheriadou M, Varnava-Tello A, Metta-Loizidou NAS, Akkelidou D (2002) The microbiological profile of foods in the Republic of Cyprus: 1991–2000. Food Microbiol 19:463–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EU (European Union) (2005) Regulation No 2073/2005 of 15th Nov 2005 on Microbiological Criteria of Foodstuffs, Official Journal L338, 22.12.2005, pp. 1–26

  • Evans EW, Redmond EC (2016) Older adult consumer knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported storage practices of ready-to-eat food products and risks associated with listeriosis. J Food Prot 79:263–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eves A, Cervisi P (2005) Experiences of the implementation and operation of hazard analysis critical control points in the food service sector. Hosp Manag 24:3–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang TJ, Wei QT, Liao CW, Hung MJ, Wang TH (2003) Microbiological quality of 18°C ready-to-eat food products sold in Taiwan. Int J Food Microbiol 80:241–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FSA (Food Standards Agency) (2000) Code of Practice No.9: Food Hygiene Inspections: (Second Revision Oct 2000)

  • FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland) (2019) Guidance note no.3: guidelines for the interpretation of results of microbiological testing of ready-to-eat foods placed on the market (revision 3). Published by: Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Abbey Court, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin

  • Gilbert RJ, De Louvois J, Donovan T, Little C, Nye K, Ribeiro CD, Richards J, Roberts D, Bolton FJ (2000) Guidelines for the microbiological quality of some ready-to-eat food sampled at the point of sale. Commun Dis Public Health 3:163–167

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillespie I, Little C, Mitchell R (2000) Microbiological examination of cold ready-to-eat sliced meats from catering establishments in the United Kingdom. J Appl Microbiol 88:467–474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gracias KS, McKillip JL (2004) A review of conventional detection and enumeration methods for pathogenic bacteria in food. Can J Microbiol Rev 50:883–890

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrigan WF (1998) Laboratory methods in food microbiology, 3rd edn. Academic Press, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertog MG, Kromhout D, Aravanis C, Blackburn H, Buzina R, Fidanza F, Giampaoli S, Jansen A, Menotti A, Nedeljkovic S (1995) Flavonoid intake and long-term risk of coronary heart disease and cancer in the seven countries study. Arch Intern Med 155:381–386

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • HPA (UK’s Health Protection Agency) (2009) Guidelines for assessing the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods. Health Protection Agency, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyebin J, Seoyoun L, Younchan CS (2014) Home Meal Replacement Market Segmentation: A Food-Related Life Style. Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s 2014 AAEA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, July 27–29, 2014

  • ICMSF (International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods) (1986) Microorganisms in Foods 2. Sampling for microbiological analysis: Principles and specific applications, 2nd Edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Canada. ISBN: 0802056938

  • ICMSF (International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods) (2002) Microorganisms in Foods, 7 Microbiological testing in food safety management. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (ISO 11290–1:2017) (2017a) Microbiology of the food chain—Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes and of Liesteria spp—Part 1: Detection method, Geneva: International Organization for Standardization

  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (ISO 6579–1:2017) (2017b) Microbiology of the food chain—Horizontal method for the detection, enumeration and serotyping of Salmonella—Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization

  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (ISO 6887–1:2017) (2017c)Microbiology of the food chain—Preparation of test samples, initial suspension and decimal dilutions for microbiological examination—Part 1: General rules for the preparation of the initial suspension and decimal dilutions. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization

  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (ISO 6888–1:1999/AMD2:2018) (2018a) Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs—Horizontal method for the enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species)—Part 1: Technique using Baird-Parker agar medium—Amendment 2: Inclusion of an alternative confirmation test using RPFA stab method. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization

  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (ISO 22000:2018) (2018b) Food safety management systems—Requirements for any organization in the food chain

  • Jang H, Kim NH, Choi YM, Rhee M (2013) Microbiological quality and risk factors related to sandwiches served in bakeries, cafes, and sandwich bars in South Korea. J Food Prot 76:231–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kokkinakis E, Fragkiadakis GA (2007) HACCP effect on microbiological quality of minimally processed vegetables: a survey in six mass-catering establishments. Int J Food Sci Technol 42:18–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kokkinakis E, Boskou G, Fragkiadakis GA, Kokkinaki A (2008) Changes in vegetable microbiological quality introduced by processing methods. Int J Food Sci Technol 43:603–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kromhout D, Menotti A, Bloemberg B, Aravanis C, Blackburn H, Buzina R, Dontas AS (1995) Dietary saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease: the seven countries study. Prev Med 24:308–315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mentella MC, Scaldaferri F, Ricci C, Miggiano GAD (2019) Cancer and mediterranean diet: a review. Nutrients 11:2059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okrent AM, Kumcu A (2014) What’s Cooking? Demand for Convenience Foods in the United States. Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s 2014 AAEA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, July 27–29, 2014

  • Padilla M (2001) Evolution of Mediterranean diets: facts, causes, effects. In: Amado R, Lairon D, Gerber M, Maiani G, Abt B (eds) Bioactive micronutrients in mediterranean diet and health. European Communities, Luxembourg, pp 263–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritson C, Hutchins R (1995) Food choice and the demand for food, in D. W. Marshall, Food choice and the consumer (pp. 43–77). Blackie Academic & Professional: An imprint of Chapman and Hall, ISBN 0–7514–0234–6

  • SETE (Greek Tourism Confederation) (2019) https://sete.gr/en/ Accessed 9 Dec 2019

  • Silbernagel KM, Lindberg KG (2003) 3TM PetrifilmTM Enterobacteriaceae count plate method for enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae in selected foods: collaborative study. J AOAC Int 86:802–814

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JL, Davies GJ, Bent AJ (2001) Retail fast foods: overview of safe sandwich manufacture. J R Soc Promot Health 121:220–223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walker E, Pritchard C, Forsythe S (2003) Hazard analysis critical control point and prerequisite programme implementation in small and medium size food businesses. Food Control 14:169–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willett WC, Sacks F, Trichopoulou A, Trichopoulos D (1406S) Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr 6:1402S–1406S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson K, Allen G, Bolton FJ (2000) Report of the greater Manchester/Lancashire/PHLS liaison group survey on the microbiological examination of meat/salad sandwiches from small retail premises, PHLS North West FESL—Preston PHL, Survey Code No. 904009, KW/KLM (182000), Date of report 6/3/00. (https://lancsscm.web-labs.co.uk/Documents/EnvHealth/Food/Sampling/904009%20Meat%20and%20Salad%20sandwiches%20from%20small%20retail%20premises.pdf)

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors declare they have received no financial support for the preparation of this manuscript

Full compliance with all ethics.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Quality Laboratory, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 72300, Siteia, Crete, Greece

    Manolis N. Kokkinakis, Georgios A. Fragkiadakis & Nikolaos E. Lapidakis

  2. Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Manolis N. Kokkinakis & Aikaterini N. Kokkinaki

Authors
  1. Manolis N. Kokkinakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Georgios A. Fragkiadakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nikolaos E. Lapidakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Aikaterini N. Kokkinaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manolis N. Kokkinakis.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kokkinakis, M.N., Fragkiadakis, G.A., Lapidakis, N.E. et al. Assessing microbiological quality of ready-to-eat prepacked sandwiches, in Crete, Greece. J Food Sci Technol 57, 4220–4227 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04460-z

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04460-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation