Introduction: In Wales, United Kingdom, in 2005, there was a significant outbreak of foodborne disease caused by E. coli O157 that was microbiologically and epidemiologically linked to contaminated cooked meat. In response to this outbreak, there have been a number of studies in Wales focusing on this type of product.
Purpose: The goal of this particular project was to ascertain the extent to which, in retail premises, the unpacking, handling and slicing of meat joints, and the subsequent repacking of the sliced meat affected the microbiological quality of the final, sliced product. Specifically, the aim of the project was to observe if the handling and slicing of meat joints within this type of premise increased the hazard to the public.
Methods: A total of 55 premises (butchers and butchery departments in supermarkets) that produced packets of sliced, cooked meat from meat joints for retail sale were visited. Samples were taken pre and post slicing by environmental health officers and delivered to the nearest public health laboratory where they were examined for aerobic colony count, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Listeria and Salmonella using international standard methods (ISO methods).
Results: Microbiological results were compared to current UK guidelines for the quality of ready-to-eat food. Comparison of results between pre and post slicing found a decrease in unsatisfactory rate from 6.3% to 4.7% for ACC, an increase for both Enterobacteriaceae (1.6 to 3.9%) and E. coli (1.6 to 2.4%) and no Salmonella or Listeria in any samples.
Significance: It can be concluded that for the premises visited during the survey, that the unpacking of the joint, handling, slicing and packaging of the slices did not significantly increase the microbial hazard within this type of product.