P1-60 Microbiological Profile of Different Steps during Pig Slaughter

Monday, August 1, 2016
America's Center - St. Louis
Elton Rodrigo Cê, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Francisco Beltrão, Brazil
Audecir Giombelli, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Jalusa Kich, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Concordia, Brazil
Alessandra Machado-Lunkes, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Londrina, Brazil
Elisabete Hiromi Hashimotto, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Londrina, Brazil
Introduction:  During the pig slaughter process there are several steps where microbial levels on carcasses can change. Therefore, to know the points where contamination increases or decreases is strategically important to establish measures of control to reduce microbiological risks. 

Purpose:  Identify the contamination by Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and indicator microorganisms in main steps along the pig slaughter in an industry located in south of Brazil to map the critical points of microbiological contamination.

Methods: Samples of pig carcasses were collected after different steps of the slaughter process (bleeding, scalding, dehairing, singeing, washing after toilet, evisceration, inspection, final washing and chilling), (n = 130). Detection of Salmonella was conducted using PCR BAX System and L. monocytogenes by VIDAS. Aerobic mesophilic (AM), E. coli (EC), total coliforms (TC) and Enterobacteriaceae(EB) were analyzed using 3M Petrifilm. The result was statistically evaluated through the ANOVA and Tukey test.

Results: Salmonella was present in 26.6% of carcasses analyzed in the initial stage and in 1.11% in the last step. Detection of Salmonella was heterogeneous, indicating that the presence of bacteria is dependent of several factors. Listeria monocytogenes was only detected in carcasses from the final wash (21.1%) and in chilling (8.9%). For indicator microorganisms statistical difference (> 0.05, Tukey test) was observed between same steps for all the microorganisms tested. From beginning to the end of the process, reduction of 1.6 for AM, 0.7 for EB, 0.8 for EC and 0.7 log CFU/g for TC was observed.

Significance: The study was used to evaluate the microbiological performance of a pig slaughter industry in Brazil and establish strategies to decrease microbiological contamination.