Microbiological baseline study of poultry slaughtered in provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada.
Studies to determine baseline levels of microbial contaminants and foodborne bacterial pathogens are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs, Good Manufacturing/Production Practices, and various interventions. In 2004 and 2005 poultry carcass rinses from provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada, were tested to determine the levels of aerobic plate count bacteria, coliform bacteria, and generic Escherichia coli, the prevalence and levels of Campylobacter spp., and the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Samples were collected from 3 high volume and 62 low volume abbatoirs. All samples (1296) were positive for aerobic plate count bacteria, with 98.8% of samples having counts of 100 000 or less colony forming units (CFU)/cm2. Coliform bacteria were isolated from 99.7% of the 1296 carcasses and were recovered at levels of < or = 1000 CFU/cm2 for 98.3% of the samples. Generic E. coli were recovered from 99.1% of the 1296 carcasses at levels of < or = 1000 CFU/cm2 for 98.6% of the samples. Seventy five percent of 1234 samples that were tested for Campylobacter were positive; 37.5% of 1295 samples that were tested for Salmonella were positive; and only 2 of 1296 samples tested for STEC were positive (0.15%).
Food Safety Division, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, 6909-116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 4P2, Canada. val.bohaychuk@gov.ab.ca
Valerie M
VM
Bohaychuk
Sylvia L
SL
Checkley
Gary E
GE
Gensler
Pablo Romero
PR
Barrios
D000003:Abattoirs / Q000592:standards; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005513:Food Inspection; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D015995:Prevalence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification