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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #235873
Title: EFFECT OF PRE-EVISCERATION, SKIN-ON CARCASS DECONTAMINATION SANITATION STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF BEEF DURING SKINNING

Author
item CALICIOGLU, MEHMET - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN
item BUEGE, DENNIS - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN
item Luchansky, John

Submitted to: Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2009
Publication Date: 7/1/2010
Citation: Calicioglu, M., Buege, D., Luchansky, J.B. 2010. EFFECT OF PRE-EVISCERATION, SKIN-ON CARCASS DECONTAMINATION SANITATION STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF BEEF DURING SKINNING. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. 34:261-266.

Interpretive Summary: In recent years there has been a shift from physical cleanness to microbiological cleanness of cattle carcasses. As such, there has been considerable research conducted to evaluate methods to effectively decontaminate beef carcasses that may become contaminated by the gastrointestinal track and/or the hide of animals during slaughter. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if closing off both ends of the carcass would be more effective at keeping down the microbial load than not doing so. This was accomplished by placing a plastic bag over the neck of the carcass and tying off the exposed esophagus after head removal. This was also done in combination with sealing off the anus and genitourinary region with an adhesive patch. Both control and closed/experimental carcasses were subsequently decontaminated using chemical or hot water treatments. The results revealed no appreciable differences between control and closed/experimental carcasses in the number of total aerobic bacteria on the carcasses following decontamination. Further studies may be warranted to test different sanitizers and levels/volumes thereof, as well as different temperatures and contact times for application of the sanitizers, since this approach for decontamination may be very useful to small and very–small abattoirs.

Technical Abstract: The effectiveness of pre-evisceration, skin-on carcass sanitation on reducing bacterial contamination of beef carcasses was tested using 3 cattle per treatment and 3 cattle as controls at each of 3 abattoirs in southern Wisconsin. The sanitation procedure included stunning, bleeding, tying off the esophagus, sealing the anus, and then sanitizing the hide with: i) 20% trisodium phosphate, ii) 200 ppm iodophor, iii) 75% ethanol, or iv) hot water (ca. 80 degrees C). Two sets of combined sponge samples (3 x 100 cm2) were taken from the hide before and after the sanitation step, as well as from the carcass after the final wash. Our results revealed that average reductions in numbers of total aerobic bacteria on the hide ranged from 0.06 to 3.58 log10 cfu per cm-2 depending on the sanitation method. However, regardless of the various sanitation methods tested, no significant differences were found between test and control groups in the level of total aerobic bacterial contamination on the carcasses after the final wash.