OCCURRENCE OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS IN GROUND BEEF AND GROUND TURKEY EVALUATED BY THREE METHODS1

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Abstract
A rapid and effective method (Fung's Double‐tube method) for estimating low numbers of Clostridium perfringens from ground beef and ground turkey has been investigated and compared to Oxyrase Enzyme and Gas Pak Anaerobic System methods. C. perfringens was detected with one or more of the methods in 64 (54%) of 118 ground beef samples and 40 (73%) of 55 ground turkey samples. Fung's Double‐tube showed 94 (54%) out of 173, Oxyrase Enzyme 77 (45%) out of 173, and Gas Pak Anaerobic System 73 (42%) out of 173 ground beef and ground turkey samples to be positive for C. perfringens. Fung's doubletube showed significantly (p C. perfringens in these samples than other two methods. The results indicated a much higher occurrence of C. perfringens in ground turkey (73%) than in ground beef (54%). Furthermore in order to compare the efficiency of these methods in enumerating number of C. perfringens cells during storage, some samples were kept at room temperature (23°C) for 7 days. The number of C. perfringens increased from 44/g up to 1.3x109/g as enumerated by Fung's Double‐tube.