This study on the microbiological quality of 50 raw meatball samples from different market places in Diyarbakır assessed. The mean counts of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, (TMAB) coliform bacteria, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, anaerobic bacteria, yeast and mould were 2.3 x 10⁶, 9.1 x 10⁴, 6.4 x 10², 5.0 x 10³, 2.7 x 10¹ and 4.7 x 10⁵ cfu/g in raw meatball samples, respectively.

According to our study we observed that microbiological quality of raw meatball samples is poor. The level of decreasement of the microbial flora depended Good Manifacturing Procedure (GMP) and microbiological quality raw materials and spices. It is well known that low dosage of irradiation applications can be used successufuly to the raw meatballs if it is combined with hygienic manufacturing techniques.