TY - JOUR
T1 - Hygiene indicators and salmonellae on surfaces of swine carcasses from two slaughterhouses in northern portugal
AU - Moura-Alves, Márcio
AU - Carvalho, Marta
AU - Ribeiro, Deise Helena Baggio
AU - Barbosa, Joana
AU - Silveira, Leonor
AU - Pista, Ângela
AU - Pinto, Helena Patrícia
AU - Saraiva, Cristina
AU - Teixeira, Paula
AU - Esteves, Alexandra
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.
PY - 2022/11/1
Y1 - 2022/11/1
N2 - The monitoring of carcass surface contamination along the slaughter line enables verification of slaughter operation hygiene and the use of good manufacturing practices. Pork meat is a common source of human nontyphoidal salmonellosis, one of the most frequently reported foodborne illnesses worldwide. This study was conducted to gather data on microbial loads before and after evisceration on the surfaces of swine carcasses in two slaughterhouses. The presence of Salmonella enterica was evaluated only after evisceration on carcass surfaces and in livers and floor drains (environmental samples) because pigs are common carriers of this pathogen. The contamination of carcass surfaces was evaluated by delimitation of surface area with sterilized templates (100 cm 2), and surface samples were collected with gauze swabs. Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli were enumerated. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in counts of mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli were found on the external carcass surfaces, with higher counts after evisceration. The neck and abdominal areas had higher levels of mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli and a high prevalence of Salmonella. Salmonella was detected in only one of the studied slaughterhouses; 19 (7.3%) of 259 analyzed carcass samples were positive for Salmonella, and Salmonella was detected in two livers and two floor drains. A total of 52 Salmonella isolates (44 from carcasses, 5 from livers, and 3 from drains) were recovered. Three Salmonella serovars (Typhimurium 4,5:i-, Wernigerone, and Derby) were identified, and 53.8% of the 52 isolates were multidrug resistant. The results reveal the need for continuous improvement of slaughtering operations and implementation of good manufacturing practices to ensure the safety of pork produced in Portugal.
AB - The monitoring of carcass surface contamination along the slaughter line enables verification of slaughter operation hygiene and the use of good manufacturing practices. Pork meat is a common source of human nontyphoidal salmonellosis, one of the most frequently reported foodborne illnesses worldwide. This study was conducted to gather data on microbial loads before and after evisceration on the surfaces of swine carcasses in two slaughterhouses. The presence of Salmonella enterica was evaluated only after evisceration on carcass surfaces and in livers and floor drains (environmental samples) because pigs are common carriers of this pathogen. The contamination of carcass surfaces was evaluated by delimitation of surface area with sterilized templates (100 cm 2), and surface samples were collected with gauze swabs. Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli were enumerated. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in counts of mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli were found on the external carcass surfaces, with higher counts after evisceration. The neck and abdominal areas had higher levels of mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli and a high prevalence of Salmonella. Salmonella was detected in only one of the studied slaughterhouses; 19 (7.3%) of 259 analyzed carcass samples were positive for Salmonella, and Salmonella was detected in two livers and two floor drains. A total of 52 Salmonella isolates (44 from carcasses, 5 from livers, and 3 from drains) were recovered. Three Salmonella serovars (Typhimurium 4,5:i-, Wernigerone, and Derby) were identified, and 53.8% of the 52 isolates were multidrug resistant. The results reveal the need for continuous improvement of slaughtering operations and implementation of good manufacturing practices to ensure the safety of pork produced in Portugal.
KW - Salmonella
KW - Antimicrobial susceptibility
KW - Contamination
KW - Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles
KW - Slaughter operations
KW - Swine carcass
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132208621&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4315/JFP-21-312
DO - 10.4315/JFP-21-312
M3 - Article
C2 - 35202475
AN - SCOPUS:85132208621
SN - 0362-028X
VL - 85
SP - 1566
EP - 1575
JO - Journal of Food Protection
JF - Journal of Food Protection
IS - 11
ER -