Microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt.

Background: Bakery products are important food snacks consumed by people of all ages and economic groups. The growth of unwanted microorganisms that deteriorate products such as bacteria, moulds, and fungi in these foodstuffs may offer risks to consumers' health and generate considerable economic losses. This work aimed to assess the microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt.

Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study involved 168 local and branded bakery products that were collected randomly from 2 districts in Alexandria. Hygienic practices such as covering of the bread and wearing gloves during handling were observed and recorded. All bread samples were tested to determine the total plate count (TPC), presence/absence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), total yeasts and moulds in CFU/g and total coliform count (TC) in MPN/g.

Results: The mean of the total yeasts and moulds and TC in the packed bread was lower than that of the unpacked bread (3.40 × 10³ CFU/g and 3.25 MPN/g versus 6.37 × 10³ CFU/g and 31.61 MPN/g, respectively). However, the mean of TPC in the packed bread was higher than that of the unpacked bread (1.39 × 10⁶ versus 2.07 × 10⁵ CFU/g, respectively). The mean TPC, total yeasts and moulds and TC was higher in the studied flatbread than Fino bread and toast (3.4 × 10⁶, 1.14 × 10⁴ CFU/g and 24.6 MPN/g, respectively). The presence of S. aureus was higher in flat, unpacked bread, bread displayed outside the shop and handled without gloves.

Conclusion: Bread produced by local bakeries showed lower standards in packaging and microbial quality. Better manufacturing, packaging, storage, and handling initiatives should be introduced to avoid related food safety concerns in the future. The formal authorities should define and clarify standards and rules on bread safety.