*2.6. Microbial Analysis*

Total plate count (cfu/g) was determined by using pour plate method according to Lorenzo et al. [30]. Ten grams of meat sample were homogenised in 90 mL of sterile peptone water (0.1%). Appropriate serial dilutions were prepared in 0.1% sterile peptone water and plated in duplicate

with plate count agar, incubated at 37 ◦C for 48 h. Microbial colonies from the plates were counted and expressed as log cfu/g.
