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. 2024 Sep 19;10(18):e38110.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38110. eCollection 2024 Sep 30.

Microbiological safety assessment of ready-to-eat cooked foods in the Addis Ababa School Feeding Program, Ethiopia

Yihalem Tamiru  1 , Abebe Ayelign  1 , Afework Mulugeta  2 , Samson Gebremedhin  3
Affiliations

Microbiological safety assessment of ready-to-eat cooked foods in the Addis Ababa School Feeding Program, Ethiopia

Yihalem Tamiru et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

This investigation assessed microbial contamination indicators in RTE school meals and drinking water in the Addis Ababa SFP, Ethiopia. Samples were collected from 18 primary school kitchens in March and April 2024. Microbiological analysis was performed on 37 cooked food samples and 18 drinking water samples using ISO and NMKL guidelines. The microbiological investigation of RTE prepared meal samples revealed an overall acceptable level of quality and safety. However, concerns were identified. Yeasts and molds surpassed reference standards in 78.4 % of samples (>102 cfu/ml), E. coli exceeded standards in 10.8 % of samples (>102 cfu/ml), and S. aureus counts exceeded limits in 5.4 % of samples (103 -104). Cooked rice the highest microbiological counts, especially of E. coli and S. aureus. Approximately 14.4 % of food samples were unsatisfactory, showing contamination from E. coli, S. aureus, and yeasts and molds. Regarding drinking water, the non-potable percentage in drinking water was 23.4 %, raising concerns about APC microbial count, TC, and FC. In particular, 72 % of the drinking water samples surpassed the APC criteria (>100 cfu/ml), 16 % exceeded the TC standard (>1 cfu/ml), and 5.5 % exceeded the FC threshold. The microbiological quality of meals served through the Addis Ababa SFP generally met established standards. However, some food samples exceeded the permitted limits, indicating hygiene difficulties. Therefore, stringent premises and personal hygiene measures must be implemented to safeguard their safety and well-being of the school children.

Keywords: Drinking water quality; Food safety; Microbiological quality; School feeding program.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:YIHALEM TAMIRU reports financial support was provided by International Development Research Center (10.13039/501100000193IDRC). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map and photographs of the study area in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of food and water samples in the Addis Ababa SFP among 18 public primary schools, Ethiopia (n = 55).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Microbiological assessment of RTE cooked meals served to students in public primary schools as part of the Addis Ababa SFP, Ethiopia (n = 37).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Comprehensive assessment of microbial quality in school meal offerings within the Addis Ababa SFP, Ethiopia (March to April 2024) (n = 37).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Evaluation of microbial quality in potable and non-potable drinking water samples within public primary schools of the Addis Ababa SFP, Ethiopia (March to April 2024) (n = 18).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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