Hygienic Quality Assessment Of Pork Carcasses Obtained In Industrial And Traditional Slaughtering Units

Abstract

Despite the fact that many types of foods can be sources of food borne illnesses, meat and meat products are very important sources of infection in people with a wide variety of pathogens that cause food poisoning. The aim of this study was to conduct an assessment of meat hygienic quality and configuration by assessing the microbial load and the presence of pathogens. The material under investigation was represented by 40 samples of pork meat collected in stages, between 2015-2016, from slaughtering units both from the traditional system and the industrial system. Samples were analyzed at the Department of Food Safety and Control of Animal Origin Products. Total viable count in samples taken from the carcasses, in 2016 presented values similar to those in 2015, ranging from a minimum of 2.74 ± 0.36 log cfu/cm2 in January and December and a maximum 3.73 ± 1.13 log cfu / cm2 recorded in February, without showing significant differences between the samples processed in the studied period (p>0.05). The results regarding contamination of swine carcasses (surface) with germs from Enterobacteriaceae family were non-compliant, exceeding the maximum permissible limit of 3.0 log cfu/cm2 in all 12 samples examined (33.33%). In the case of the samples taken from pork carcasses the results regarding germs from Enterobacteriaceae family were non-compliant, 29.16% of the samples examined during the period under study were found to exceed the maximum limit, which showed deficiencies regarding the hygiene requirements.