Assessment of meat hygiene practices and microbial quality of chevon in wet markets of tier-ii cities

Abstract

The challenge of maintaining meat safety in open-air wet markets is magnified in tier-II cities where regulatory oversight and cold chain infrastructure lag behind metropolitan centres [1]. This research assessed meat hygiene practices and microbial contamination of chevon (goat meat) across 37 wet market stalls in four tier-II cities of Central Luzon, Philippines, between June and November 2023. Vendor hygiene practices were scored using a standardised 7-point checklist. A total of 148 chevon samples were analysed for total aerobic plate count (APC), coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Mean APC was 6.12 ± 0.87 log?? CFU/g, with 68.2% of samples exceeding the Philippine National Standard limit of 6.0 log?? CFU/g. Salmonella was detected in 26.4% of samples. Hygiene scores correlated inversely with APC (r = ?0.78, p < 0.001). Roadside vendors had significantly higher contamination than municipal market stalls across all indicators (p < 0.01). These results identify critical control points for improving chevon safety in Philippine wet markets.