Assessment of microbiological load of small ruminant carcasses, livers, some lymph nodes, tools and knife samples in slaughterhouse [Ocena mikrobioloŠke obremenitve trupov malih preŽvekovalcev, jeter in nekaterih bezgavk ter orodij in noŽev v klavnici]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological loads of small animal carcasses, carcass lymph nodes, whole liver surface, liver lymph nodes and some tools contacting with carcass and offal. Total 630 samples taken from small animal carcasses, livers, hepatic lymph nodes, subiliac and prescapular lymph nodes, staff knives and slaughterhouse tools samples (stainless steel table, plastic crates, offal carts) were investigated for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli counts and Salmonella spp. The mean total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli numbers of the carcasses were 3.6, 0.6, and 0.1 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively, and the most contaminated region among the carcass sampling points was flank. The mean TAMB, Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli counts of the liver surfaces were 6.0, 3.7, 2.9 log10 CFU/liver, respectively. The average TAMB, Enterobacteriaceaeand E. colinumbers of the knives were found as 6.3, 2.9 and 2.1 log10 CFU/blade, and the average TAMB, Enterobacteriaceaeand E. coli counts of the slaughterhouse surfaces were 5.1, 1.6, 0.5 log10 CFU/cm2. Salmonellaspp. was detected in 4% of the liver samples and 10% of the knives samples. Consequently, the presence of Salmonella on the surface of livers and blades, and high number of E. coli on the livers, blades and tools show that a public health risk may arise at any time, and staff should pay extra attention to the “Good Hygiene Practices” and Food Safety Management Systems (such as HACCP) applied in slaughterhouses. © 2020 University of Ljubljana - Veterinary Faculty. All rights reserved.