Characterization of microorganisms present in a slaughterhouse and beef processing/chilling environment (original) (raw)
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Journal of Food Safety, 2016
The study was conducted to determine the level of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae and aerobic colony counts (ACCs) contamination in beef carcass, equipment, slaughtermen hands and water at selected stages in abattoirs. Cattle carcasses were sampled at four sites (rump, neck, flank and brisket) from a low throughput (LTA) (n 5 240) and high throughput (HTA) (n 5 384) abattoirs. Using conventional biochemical tests, HTA yielded significantly higher ACC (5.2 log CFU/cm 2), E. coli (2.6 log CFU/cm 2) and Enterobacteriaceae (2.9 log CFU/cm 2) mean scores after skinning and evisceration. Washing and chilling did not cause any significant (P > 0.05) changes in bacterial counts. This implies use of non-potable water and poor chilling methods. Salmonella was not detected on all sampled carcasses. Overall, slaughtermen hands and equipment in the dirty area yielded more bacterial counts compared to clean area from both abattoirs. Therefore, these findings show that the equipment, slaughtermen hands and water are sources of contamination during the slaughter process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Microbiological analyses of beef slaughtering process will help identify possible modes of contamination. This will help the responsible authorities to take appropriate steps to improve meat safety in abattoirs. Currently,
Ars Veterinaria, 2013
Escherichia coli O157:H7, an important bacillus strain associated with serious gastroenteritis in humans, is more frequently derived from the consumption of raw or poorly cooked beef. Cattle are important reservoirs suggesting the possibility that feedlot diet management influences the emergence of Shiga-toxigenic strains. This study evaluates the microbiological quality of carcasses and the occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 using the results from general indicator methods (total viable count, coliform rate and E. coli counts) and by an automated PCR method for the detection of E. coli O157:H7. Samples were collected from (industrially processed) meat trimmings and from carcasses of cattle finished on pasture or in feedlots so that sufficient data for the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) could be obtained. Samples of rectal swab for experimental detection of E. coli O157:H7 were also collected. One hundred rectal swabs, 100 samples retrieved from warm carcasses and 323 samples of meat trimmings were analyzed. With the exception of one sample of meat trim (0.31%), all the other samples from excreta and carcasses were negative for the O157:H7 E. coli strain. There were no significant differences between the methods used for cattle finishing. Indicator methods results were considered acceptable in 91%, 85% and 93% of tested samples of carcasses respectively for TVC, coliform and E. coli counts. These results agree with statistical data showing the low occurrence of O157:H7 strain.
BACKGROUND Cattle slaughtering is performed in unhygienic conditions in local abattoirs. Therefore this study was conducted with the objective to investigate the level of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in various regions of live animal body coat, carcass and meat at the various stages of slaughtering processed.RESULTS Mean values of log Colony Forming Units (CFU) per square inch-1 of pathogenic E. coli was noted significantly higher on the body coat, carcass, meat and processing tools in untreated group of cattle. With application of hot water treatment, E. coli counts dropped both in body coat and on meat carcasses. In meat processing tools, chopper axe contained higher counts, while the washing water has slightly lesser count. In abattoir environment, lairage ground has high infection of pathogenic E. coli, and air samples also found positive with E coli. Conclusion: This study reveals that the level of pathogenic E. coli was high on animal's body coat, meat carcasses, processing tools and abattoir environment. Presently hot water (65.56 o C) application has significantly reduced the level of pathogen. However washing with some sanitizer will eliminate the pathogen from body coat thus resulting in little chances of meat contamination.
Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos, 2007
The microbiological quality of beef and meat products is strongly influenced by the conditions of hygiene prevailing during their production and handling. Without proper hygienic control, the environment in slaughterhouses and butcher shops can act as an important source of microbiological contamination. To identify the main points of microbiological contamination in the beef processing chain, 443 samples of equipment, installations and products were collected from 11 establishments (1 slaughterhouse and 10 butcher shops) located in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The microbiological quality of all the samples was evaluated using Petri dishes to obtain counts of mesophilic aerobes (AC), total coliforms, Escherichia coli (EC), yeasts and molds (YM). The main contamination points identified in butcher shops, in decreasing order, were stainless steel boxes, beef tenderizers, grinders, knives, mixers, sausage stuffers, plastic boxes, floors and drains. In the slaughterhouse, these points were sausage stuffers, platforms, floors and drains. The most severely contaminated products were fresh sausages and ground beef. This information about the main points of microbiological contamination in the beef processing chain is expected to aid professionals responsible for hygiene in similar establishments to set up proper hygienic procedures to prevent or reduce microbiological contamination of beef and meat products.
Evaluation of Bacterial Contamination Sources in Meat Production Line
Journal of Food Quality, 2016
Bacterial contamination during slaughtering process is a safety problem and concern for shelf life in meat production. We compare two different slaughter lines, sheep and cattle samples from Iranian slaughterhouse using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis for evaluation the sources of bacterial contaminations. Bacterial diversity was significantly different between and within cattle and sheep slaughter lines. Samples are contaminated most frequently with Salmonella enterica (28% and 30%), Enterococcus fecalis (18% and 20%), Escherichia coli (13% and 14%) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (8% and 6%), either on equipment surfaces after general cleaning and sanitizing treatments (56%). Biodiversity of carcasses samples is increased during skinning and evisceration process and may indicate similar sources of contamination from hides and rectums of the animal to carcasses and environment. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS 16S rDNA based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis-PCR is a method for assessment of microbial diversity, source of contaminations and changes of microbial population in slaughterhouses.
Food Science and Technology
This study investigated the presence of generic and verotoxin-producing E. coli as well as enumerated faecal coliforms in 30 beef carcasses in different parts of the slaughter process (after skinning, washing and cooling) at each of three slaughterhouses of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Among the total number of carcasses examined (n = 90), 39 (43.3%) had generic E. coli. Among the 270 samples analysed, 25 (9.3%) were positive after skinning, 14 (5.2%) were positive after washing and nine (3.3%) were positive after cooling. The majority of isolates of E. coli was collected from samples after skinning, which is considered a critical point of the microbial contamination of carcasses. However, the highest concentration of faecal coliforms was found after the washing step. The cooling step proved to be important to reducing the amount of hygiene-indicator microorganisms. The E. coli isolates had no stx1 or stx2 genes associated with virulence.
Microbial contamination of luncheon meat sliced and packaged at supermarkets in Porto Alegre, Brazil
2010
Background: Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are considered a high risk food group, since they are often consumed without a cooking step. Luncheon meat, a RTE food widely consumed in Brazil, is traditionally produced as industrially vacuum-packaged loaves and afterwards is sliced and re-packaged at retail stores. Since this practice may pose an additional hazard of contamination, the purpose of this study was to evaluate total coliform counts (TCC), coagulase-positive staphylococci counts (CPS), and the occurrence of Escherichia coli and Listeria sp. in luncheon meat samples sliced and packaged at supermarkets.
Journal of food protection, 2004
The effectiveness of current antimicrobial interventions used in reducing the prevalence or load of Escherichia coli O157 and indicator organisms on cattle hides and carcasses at two commercial beef processing plants was evaluated. Sponge sampling of beef cattle was performed at five locations from the initial entry of the animals to the slaughter floor to the exit of carcasses from the "hotbox" cooler. For each sample, E. coli O157 prevalence was determined and total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli O157 were enumerated. E. coli O157 was found on 76% of animal hides coming into the plants, but no carcasses leaving the cooler were identified as contaminated with E. coli O157. A positive relationship was seen between the incidence of E. coli O157 in hide samples and that in preevisceration samples. Aerobic plate counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts averaged 7.8 and 6.2 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively, on hides, and 1.4 and 0.4 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively, o...
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Veterinary Medicine, 2015
Cattle carcasses may be contaminated during the flow diagram process with a wide variety of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms with different origin, from various sources (soil, water, tools, knives, feces, operators), but only few of them will be able to develop in the new ecosystem conditions, and from these only a small proportion will eventually start the spoilage processes. Taking into account the above mentioned we aimed to perform a microbiological risk evaluation focusing on the aerobic plate count (APC), E. coli count, Enterobacteriaceae count and the identification of Salmonella spp. The research material was represented by 60 surface samples of refrigerated beef, collected during January-December 2013, in a slaughterhouse in Maramureş County. In order to evaluate the contamination level of the carcasses we used the following standardized methods: SR ISO 4831/2003 for aerobic plate count, SR ISO 21528-2/2007 for Enterobacteriaceae count, SR ISO16649-2/2007 for Escherichia coli and SR ISO 6579/AC/2006 for Salmonella spp. identification. The statistical data obtained concerning the slaughtering process revealed that the total microbial load was between 2.5−5.67 log cfu/cm 2. These elevated values indicate non-compliance regarding the good hygiene practices and good manufacturing during the technological flow. From the total collected samples analyzed, the germs belonging to Enterobacteriaceae family, exceeded the maximum admitted level in 10.8%, respectively E. coli presented values between 0.5-1.9 log cfu/cm 2. Samples were negative for S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium.