Pastry Foods as Potential Source of Pathogenic E.coli

A total of 90 random samples of ready to-eat-pastry foods of meat pie, meat pizza and pasta pashamil. 30 samples of each were collected from different fast foods services at Kalyobia governorate to be examined bacteriologically for detection of pathogenic Escherichia coli microorganisms. The obtained results indicate that incidence of E.coli isolated from examined samples of pastry foods were 20 %, 26.76 %, 36.67% of meat pizza, meat pie and pasta pashamil respectively. Concerning Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli strains O26 and O111 H4 incidence were 3.33% and 6.67%in meat pizza while Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli O111 H4 incidence were 10 % in meat pie but the incidence of Enterohaemorrhagic strains O26 and O111 H4 were 10% and 6.67% in pasta pashamil respectively. Enteropathogenic E.coli strains O44 H18 incidence were 3.33% in meat pizza samples while Enteropathogenic E.coli strains O55 H7, O114 H21 and O119 H6 were 3.33% in meat pie samples. The incidence of Enteropathogenic E.coli strains O114H21 and O119 H6 were 3.33% in pasta pashamil. Incidence of toxigenic E.coli O127H6 were 6.67% in meat pizza while in pasta pashamil was 10.00%.Enteroinavsive E.coli O124 incidence in meat pie was 6.67% but in pasta pashamil its incidence was 3.38%.The public health significance of isolated organisms from the examined ready-to-eat pastry foods was discussed as well as some recommendations to ensure the safety and the quality of meat pie, meat pizza and pasta pashamil prepared in fast foods services were outlines.