Airborne bacteria and carcass contamination in slaughterhouses.

Microbiological contamination of air and carcasses was studied in four slaughterhouses by using impactor samples taken at the back-splitting and weighing areas and by sampling carcasses with the swabbing method. Air flow was determined by an air-flow detector, and the movement of workers was observed. The air contamination level in the back-splitting areas (2.25 log CFU/100 liters of air) was generally higher than that in the weighing areas (2.03 log CFU/100 liters of air). Associations between the microbiological contamination of air and carcasses with the movements of workers were found. Layout of the slaughtering line was shown to be important in decreasing airborne contamination. Separation of the clean and unclean parts of the line as well as separation of the weighing area from the other clean parts of the line decreased the contamination level. It appears that airborne bacteria have an important role in carcass contamination.

[1]  J. Frank,et al.  Biological Aerosols: A Review of Airborne Contamination and its Measurement in Dairy Processing Plants. , 1989, Journal of food protection.

[2]  J. Frank,et al.  Measurement of Airborne Contamination in Two Commercial Ice Cream Plants. , 1992, Journal of food protection.

[3]  J. Frank,et al.  A Survey of Four Fluid Milk Processing Plants for Airborne Contamination Using Various Sampling Methods. , 1992, Journal of food protection.

[4]  Snijders,et al.  Good manufacturing practice during slaughtering , 1984 .

[5]  A. Kotula,et al.  AIRBORNE MICROORGANISMS IN BROILER PROCESSING PLANTS. , 1964, Applied microbiology.

[6]  P. Hartman,et al.  Enterococci in Pork Processing. , 1993, Journal of food protection.

[7]  J. Frank,et al.  Evaluation of Air Samplers for Recovery of Biological Aerosols in Dairy Processing Plants. , 1989, Journal of food protection.

[8]  H. Korkeala,et al.  Lactobacillus contamination of cooked ring sausages at sausage processing plants , 1987 .

[9]  J. Lasta,et al.  Significance of Samples Taken for Bacterial Counts from Reduced Areas of Bovine Carcasses. , 1988, Journal of food protection.

[10]  A. Kotula,et al.  Airborne Microorganisms in a Pork Processing Establishment. , 1988, Journal of food protection.

[11]  J. Frank,et al.  Comparison of Airborne Microflora Collected by the Andersen Sieve Sampler and RCS Sampler in a Dairy Processing Plant. , 1989, Journal of food protection.

[12]  H. Korkeala,et al.  Special treatment during slaughtering in Finland of cattle carrying an excessive load of dung; Meat hygienic aspects. , 1993, Meat science.

[13]  T. A. Roberts,et al.  The microbiology of the red meat carcass and the slaughterhouse. , 1976, Royal Society of Health journal.

[14]  H. Korkeala,et al.  Ropy slime-producing lactic acid bacteria contamination at meat processing plants. , 1992, International journal of food microbiology.

[15]  C. Vanderzant,et al.  Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods , 1992 .