Occurrence of Selected Pathogenic Microorganisms in Raw and Processed Eggs of Snails of The Genus.

Introduction: This study investigated the eggs of Polish-bred edible snails of the genus as a food and aimed to determine the presence of microorganisms in them of the and genera and ascertain the number of coagulase-positive staphylococci.

Material And Methods: Raw material, semi-finished products, and the final product were collected during the production cycle. Testing for the presence of spp. and spp. and measuring of the pathogenic staphylococci contamination level were carried out in accordance with ISO standards. Commercial biochemical tests were used for species identification of bacteria of the family and genus. An API kit and a PCR protocol were utilised for species confirmation of the microorganisms of the genus.

Results: Neither nor coagulase-positive staphylococci were found in any of the studied material. Bacteria of the genus were found in samples taken at every stage of production; however was confirmed in samples of the final product.

Conclusion: The absence of spp. and in samples of the final product indicates that the required hygiene standard was maintained in the production process of edible snail eggs. Nevertheless, the presence of in eggs of common garden snails may pose a potential risk to consumer health.