Carcass meat is sterile immediately after slaughtering, but surface contamination takes place during and after dressing. Slaughter processes have very important role in increase or decrease of microbial contamination. In this study, neck, posterior side of
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Carcass meat is sterile immediately after slaughtering, but surface contamination takes place during and after dressing. Slaughter processes have very important role in increase or decrease of microbial contamination. In this study, neck, posterior side of the foreleg, flank and rump sites of 10 beef carcasses were sampled with indirect swabbing method at post skinning, before trimming and post final washing, to evaluation of these operational steps effect on bacterial population. Bacteriological examination (aerobic plate counts at 37°C, Escherichia coli enumeration and Salmonella identification) were obtained from the samples. The results indicated that posterior side of the foreleg and trimming were the most contaminated site and stage for aerobic plate counts, respectively. Cold water washing of carcass has significant effect (p<0.05) on decrease of microbial population from neck and rump, but it was ineffective in removing microbial contamination. The posterior side of the foreleg was the most contaminated site for Escherichia coli and salmonellawas detected only on trimming step of slaughtering. With due attention to low aerobic plate counts, Escherichia coli enumeration and absence of salmonella in samples after final washing, operating procedures are satisfactory in this bovine slaughterhouse.
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