The contamination levels of food poisoning bacteria was investigated from 350 samples of beef, 338 samples of pork, and 350 samples of chicken during the period from March 1996 to October 1998. The contamination levels of pathogenic organisms were higher in refrigerated meat than packed frozen meat and were relatively higher in chicken and packed meat than in beef. The highest level detected for each of the various pathogens was : less than 10,000 cfu/g for Staphylococcus aureus : less than 0.9 MPN/g for Salmonella and Literia monocytogenes: 7MPN/g for Campylobacter jejuni /coli. In the comparisions of cross- contamination ratio of tested meat for four species food poisoning bacteria 14.3% of beef, 23.5% of pork and 55.0% of chicken were contained only one species of pathogen, whereas 2.7 of beef, 5.6% of pork and 14.7% of chicken contained two species and 2.3% of pork contained a total of three species. Generally, pathogens was encounted higher isolation freguency in packed frozen chicken meat than in chilled chickens.

• 김용환
• 강호조
• 손원근