Trends in the microbial contamination of bovine, ovine and swine carcasses in three small-scale abattoirs in central Italy: A four-year monitoring.
The microbial contamination of animal carcasses with respect to the limits established by Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 was investigated. Bovine, ovine, and swine carcasses (n=536 samples) from three small-scale abattoirs were sampled using abrasive sponges and tested for aerobic colony counts (ACC) and Enterobacteriaceae in the period 2010-2013. Mean ACC values reached 1.96 log cfu/cm(2) on bovine carcasses and 2.27 log cfu/cm(2) on both swine and ovine carcasses; Enterobacteriaceae counts of 0.01, 0.20 and 0.27 log cfu/cm(2) were found for bovine, swine and ovine carcasses, respectively. Abattoir 1 showed the highest values of ACC; no differences among abattoirs were highlighted for Enterobacteriaceae. Compared with swine and ovine carcasses, bovine carcasses showed significantly lower means for both ACC and Enterobacteriaceae. The data collected indicated that the management of the three abattoirs met high quality standards, thereby proving that it is feasible to achieve good microbiological quality in abattoirs when adequate Good Hygiene Practices are applied.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Annalisa
A
Petruzzelli
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy. Electronic address: a.osimani@univpm.it.
Andrea
A
Osimani
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
Marina
M
Pasquini
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
Francesca
F
Clementi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Vittorio
V
Vetrano
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Francesca
F
Paolini
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Martina
M
Foglini
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Eleonora
E
Micci
via Rosmini 16, 61032, Fano, Italy.
Alberto
A
Paoloni
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Centro di Riferimento Regionale Autocontrollo, via Canonici 140, 61100, Villa Fastiggi, Pesaro, Italy.
Franco
F
Tonucci
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005062:European Union; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000592:standards; D005513:Food Inspection; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D064088:Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D011786:Quality Control; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D034421:Sus scrofa
Aerobic colony counts; Enterobacteriaceae; HACCP; Process hygiene; Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005; Slaughtering