Arcobacter contamination on pre- and post-chilled bovine carcasses and in minced beef at retail

作者：De Smet S; De Zutter L; Van Hende J; Houf K^*

来源：Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2010, 108(1): 299-305.

DOI：10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04430.x

• Arcobacter
• bovine
• carcasses
• cooling
• minced beef

Aims:
The present study aimed to assess the Arcobacter contamination on bovine carcasses postevisceration and postcooling in two slaughterhouses and in ready-to-eat minced beef.
Methods and Results:
Carcasses (n = 247) were sampled at four sites in two slaughterhouses and 100 minced beef samples were collected at retail. Isolation was performed by a quantitative and qualitative Arcobacter selective method, and the isolates were identified by multiplex PCR, after which a part of them were characterized by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Although arcobacters were isolated from 37% of the bovine carcasses postevisceration with the chest and the foreleg as most contaminated sites, cooling the carcasses for at least 24 h reduced the incidence of Arcobacter (7%) on the carcass surface significantly. Arcobacter butzleri was the species most frequently isolated, although co-contamination with multiple species also occurred. At retail, arcobacters were present in 9% of the minced beef samples, with Arcobacter butzleri as the dominant species.
Conclusions:
Forced air cooling of bovine carcasses for at least 24 h decreased the number of positive carcasses, but did not eliminate all arcobacters.
Significance and Impact of the study:
This study demonstrates that maintaining good hygiene practices throughout the food supply chain is crucial to ensure safe food products at the consumer level.

• 出版日期2010-1