Microbiological study and improvement of the traditional processing of beef meat into kilishi.

Kilishi is a beef-based product that is traditionally produced and consumed in Sahelian Africa. It is made from fine slices of sun-dried meat, which a re coated with a sauce and then grilled. Factors of risks for product spoil age in kilishi traditional processing in Niger are identified at different stages of the production. This is completed by the evaluation of the produc t quality: total aerobic flora, coliforms, yeasts and moulds, sulfito-reduc ing anaerobes, and pH and water content. Field studies carried out in Niger enabled to determine the influence of climatic conditions on kilishi quali ty. The drying and coating operations were identified as critical stages in kilishi processing as concerns hygiene of the end product.