Assessment of microbiological quality of duck eggs

A study was conducted to assess the microbiological quality of duck eggs from University Poultry Farm (UPF) and retail market of Mannuthy, Thrissur. Twenty eggs each were collected from the sources and subjected to microbiological examination viz. Total Viable Count (TVC), Coliform Count (CC), Yeast and Mould count (YMC) and isolation and identification of Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella spp. on egg shells and egg contents. The mean ambient temperature, relative humidity and microbial load of air inside duck sheds were also measured. TVC, CC and YMC were 9.02±0.10, 4.50±0..15 and 2.95±0.17, log₁₀ cfu/egg shell and 6.87±0.11, 3.37±0.23 and 0.38±0.13, log₁₀ cfu/g egg contents on eggs collected from UPF. The corresponding values were 8.29±0.19, 4.30±0.19 and 3. 13±0.09, log₁₀ cfu/egg shell and 6.74±0.08, 5.07±0.12 and 0.32±0.15, log₁₀ cfu/g egg contents on eggs collected from retail market. Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella spp. were also isolated from the samples. The egg contents of samples collected from UPF were found lower in microbial load as compared to market eggs of Mannuthy city.