title: Influence of cutting and deboning operations on the microbiological quality and shelf life of buffalo meat.
abstract: Considering the specific biochemical composition of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) meat (high iron content, high biological value proteins and essential fatty acids, low amounts of fat and cholesterol), we evaluated the influence of cutting and deboning operations on the microbiological quality and shelf-life of vacuum-packed buffalo meat stored under refrigeration. On the processing day, samples were collected from carcass, deboning room surfaces and meat cuts. Samples from meat cuts were evaluated weekly for two months. On the processing day, higher counts of Pseudomonas spp. were observed in samples from meat cuts compared with the hindquarters and the processing surfaces. For thermotolerant coliform scores, the averages were -0.5 log MPN·cm(-2), -0.4 log MPN·cm(-2) and 0.9 log MPN·g(-1), respectively. Higher counts of Pseudomonas spp. and LAB in meat cuts were observed on the processing day and after the first week of storage, respectively, remaining constant during shelf life. Listeria grayi was identified in two samples of hindquarters and meat cuts during storage. Listeria innocua was identified in one meat cut. In conclusion, cutting and deboning operations influence the microbiological quality and shelf life of vacuum-packed buffalo meat stored under refrigeration.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil. Electronic address: fla_voloski@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: F L S
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Voloski
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramires
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Reta
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dewes
authors.affiliation: Eliseu Maciel Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Science and Agroindustry Technology, Food Microbiology Laboratory, UFPel, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Biology Institute, Department of Morphology, ReproPEL Research Group, UFPel, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Mondadori
authors.affiliation: Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, UFPel, Brazil.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gandra
authors.affiliation: Eliseu Maciel Faculty of Agronomy, Department of Science and Agroindustry Technology, Food Microbiology Laboratory, UFPel, Brazil.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Preventive Veterinary, Laboratory of Animal Products Inspection, LIPOA/UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Prédio 34, CEP 9610-900, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Duval
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D063427:Food Quality; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D012034:Refrigeration; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Carcass; Lactic acid bacteria; Listeria spp.; Processing surfaces; Pseudomonas spp.; Vacuum packaging