BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND HOLDING TEMPERATURES OF READY-TO-SERVE FOOD ITEMS IN AN OPEN MARKET IN AWASSA, ETHIOPIA

Various types of ready-to-serve food items purchased at the Awassa ope n market were evaluated for their bacteriological profile and holding temperatures, The food items included roasted offals, fish soup, cooke d and sauced macaroni and spaghetti, and shire sauce, Spaghetti and ma caroni were held at ambient temperatures (20-30 degrees C) and had hig h aerobic mesophilic count (>10(6) cfu/g) and Enterobacteriaceae count (>10(5) cfu/g). They also yielded Shigella and Staphylococcus spp. Mo st of the other food items were held at higher temperatures (>40 degre es C) and the aerobic mesophilic count in most cases was relatively lo wer (<10(5) cfu/g), Several bacterial genera were isolated and Microco ccus and Bacillus spp dominated the aerobic microflora, The unhygienic conditions of the food service environment, possibility of cross cont amination from utensils and keeping food items at ambient temperatures for several hours were considered to be critical points.