Effect of Handling and Levels of Microbial Contamination of Different Roadside Roasted Meats of Namawojjolo and Lukaya Highway food markets, Uganda

Background Handling, preparation and sale of roadside roasted meats often predispose and may compromise such products leading to microbial contamination of both raw and ready-to-eat meat. This study assessed effects of handling roadside roasted meats on levels of microbial contamination sold at Namawojjolo and Lukaya Highway Food Markets in Uganda. Methods A total of 89 samples comprising of raw and ready-to-eat beef, chicken, and goat meats were collected using simple random sampling and analyzed for contamination by five key pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella . Microbiological analysis was performed using standard culture and quantification technique and data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results Raw samples exhibited highest contamination across all pathogens, where S. aureus in raw chicken (8 ± 0.56 log₁₀ CFU/g) and raw goat (8 ± 0.97 log₁₀ CFU/g) far exceeded Uganda’s National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) limits. Similarly, most of cold samples matched or surpassed hot samples in contamination. For example, cold beef showed higher Listeria counts (5 ± 1.93 log₁₀ CFU/g) than hot beef (3 ± 2.71 log₁₀ CFU/g). All tested meat types showed microbial contamination above UNBS safety limits for the five microbes examined which is ≤ 2 log₁₀ CFU/g for S.aureus and E.coli or completely absent for Salmonella , Lysteria and Campylobacter . However, S. aureus was consistently highest for all three meat types; for example, 8.4 ± 9.0 log₁₀ CFU/g for goat meat compared to 5.5 ± 5.7 shown for Salmonella in goat meat. Conclusion The findings highlight food safety gaps in the informal meat vending sector in Uganda. The pervasive microbial contamination, especially with pathogens of significant public health concern, underscores an urgent need for improved hygiene practices and regulatory oversight to safeguard consumer health. This study provides empirical evidence for targeted interventions to reduce foodborne disease risks associated with roadside meat consumption in Uganda and possibly, elsewhere.