Assessment of Microbial and Chemical Quality of a Ready to Eat Food, Olivier Salad, in Mashhad City

Introduction: Olivier salad is one of the most common cold fast foods in our country that is nutritious because of its various ingredients, so it is susceptible to bacterial contamination. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical and microbial quality of Olivier salads that were sold in Mashhad groceries. Methods: In this study, 26 samples from two types of Olivier salad (Chicken (17 samples) and Meat (9 samples) were collected from the local markets. Samples were transferred to the laboratory in cold flasks and then microbial (coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, clostridium perfringens , mold, and yeast), and chemical quality (levels of potassium sorbate, potassium benzoate, and benzoate alone) were evaluated  based on the Iran national standard No. 17813 and. 17813-a-1, respectively. Results: Chemical tests in the samples showed no significant difference between the amounts of potassium sorbate, potassium benzoat, and benzoate alone (P>0.05) in different samples. Of the total samples, 7.7% (2/26) and 23.07% (6/26) of the Olivier salad samples were contaminated with Salmonella and Escherichia coli, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was negative in all of the samples. Conclusion: Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus have particular importance in food contaminations. Lack of hygiene during production, contamination of raw materials, and elevation of storage temperature are  critical factors for the increased level of contamination. So control and monitoring of the food chain is necessary.