Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Food Hygiene and Control

Leftover foods are cooked foods that were not consumed within 4 hours after cooking or cooked foods that may be consumed after they have been stored in the refrigerator or freezer. These leftovers should be utilized carefully as it may harbor and support growth of food borne pathogens and causing food borne outbreaks. In part 1 of this study a survey on the quality of leftovers in student hostels was performed by collection of 25 samples of leftovers cooked chicken cuts (14 chicken thigh and 11chicken breast) from the central kitchen of the student hostel of Cairo university in Giza in order to investigate their sensory, chemical and bacteriological quality. The obtained results revealed that the mean values of APC, total staphylococcal count, total coliform count, pseudomonas and aeromonus counts, psychrotrophic count were 2.39±0.38, 2.07±0.17, 3.29±1.07, 1.88±0.45, 2.12±0.27 log cfu/g for the cooked leftover chicken thigh, respectively and 2.53±0.49, 2.31±0.35, 3.73±1.67, 2.27±0.33, 2.3042 log cfu/g for frozen cooked leftovers chicken breast, respectively. Salmonellae and Escherichia coli were not isolated from any of the examined samples. The majority of the investigated leftovers cooked chicken samples from the University student hostel revealed microbial loads within the standard acceptable levels, however, the sensory scores showed slightly lower scores for flavor. In part 2, the effect of refrigerated storage at 4{u00BA}C and frozen storage at -18{u00BA}C on the sensory quality, bacteriological and the deterioration criteria were studies under controlled conditions of cooking and storage. The results revealed that the cooked poultry cuts under refrigerated storage were remained within the acceptable levels of bacteriological and sensory scores until the 14th day of storage at 4{u00BA}C

Issued also as CD