Microbial safety of street food (fish satay) in Jeli, Kelantan

This study was about microbial assessment towards street food in Jeli, Kelantan, specifically for fish satay. Street food was popular because it has become an alternative food to home cooking and was more economical than restaurants. However, street food was criticized for being processed and sold in unhygienic and open areas. The method used in this study was Standard Plate Count (SPC). SPC used to estimate the population of bacteria in fish satay. Tenfold duplicate serial dilution was prepared from 10-1 to 10-6 to enumerate bacteria in a food sample. Selective media were used in this study to identify different types of bacteria: salmonella shigella agar, eosin methylene blue agar, and Bacillus cereus agar. Results showed that all the food samples fish satay FS1, FS2, and FS3 were contaminated with various bacteria that grow under aerobic conditions. The total plate count in sample FS1 is 2.5×107 CFU/ml less than sample FS2 (13.0×107 CFU/ml) and sample FS3 (tntc). The total bacterial count of Salmonella Shigella agar in sample FS1 was not detected but detected in sample FS2 (6.0×104 CFU/ml) and sample FS3 (tntc). The total bacterial count of Eosin Methylene Blue agar in sample FS1 was not detected but detected in sample FS2 (1.62×105 CFU/ml) and sample FS3 (tntc). Finally, the total bacterial count for Bacillus cereus agar in sample FS1 was 3.50×105 CFU/ml but, in samples FS2 and FS3, it was tntc (˃ 300). In conclusion, the food sold on the streets of Jeli, Kelantan, was contaminated with bacteria. Since it does not meet the general criterion for microbiological guidelines of raw street food, the tabulated result indicates that the fish satay is not safe to consume on its own. Numerous germs on the food sample fish satay can cause foodborne diseases, and the consumption of contaminated street food could risk public health.