title: A national survey of the microbiological quality of beef carcasses and frozen boneless beef in Australia.
abstract: The third national baseline microbiological survey of Australian beef carcasses and frozen boneless beef was conducted in 2004. Carcasses (n=1155) sampled at 27 slaughter establishments had a mean aerobic plate count (at 25 degrees C) of 1.3 log CFU/cm2. Escherichia coli was isolated from 8.0% of the cacasses, with a mean count of -0.8 log CFU/cm2 for positive samples. On samples from 24 boning (fabrication) plants (n=1082), the mean aerobic plate count for frozen boneless beef was 1.3 log CFU/g, and the mean count for the 1.8% of samples with detectable E. coli was 1.5 log CFU/g. E. coli O157: H7 was isolated from 1 of 1,143 carcasses and from 0 of 1082 boneless samples. Salmonella was isolated from 0 of 1155 carcasses and from 1 of 1082 samples of boneless product. No Campylobacter spp. were isolated from carcasses or boneless beef. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 28.7% of beef carcasses and 20.3% of boneless beef samples, and positive samples had a mean count of 0.3 log CFU/cm2 and 0.8 log CFU/g, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Symbio Alliance, P.O. Box 4312, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland, Australia. dphillips@symbioalliance.com.au
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jenson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sumner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D011786:Quality Control; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification