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Eignung der Agarkontakt-Methode zur Bestimmung des mikrobiologischen Status von Schlachtschwein- und Schlachttierkörperoberflächen im Schweineschlachtprozess vom Wartestall bis zur Kühlung
von Roland Fürstenberg„The suitability of the agar contact method to determine the microbiological status of pig skin and carcass surfaces along the pig slaughter process from the lairage to thestage before chilling“
The determination of the total viable count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria on carcasses is particularly suitable for assessing the process hygiene at the end of the pig slaughter line. Various destructive and non-destructive techniques are available for microbiological carcass examination, which possess different advantages and disadvantages. The agar contact method, in which the culture medium is homogenized for quantitative counting, is based on the use of agar contact plates. Methods using agar contact plates are standardized according toISO 18593:2018 for testing devices with the decisive advantage of a fast and practicable sampling procedure.
In order to evaluate the representativeness of the results of the agar contact method on pig carcass surfaces, the agar contact method was compared with the wet-dry double swabbing method standardized according to ISO 17604:2015-12 with regard to the detection of the total viable count in a comparative study. For this purpose, both methods were investigated comparatively firstly in an experimental approach on inoculated pig skin pieces and secondly on pig carcasses in a conventional abattoir. A statistically significant equivalence between the two non-destructive sampling methods was found for both trials. The field trial in the abattoir showed carcass surface bacteria counts that were at or below the minimum limit of detection for the agar contact method. Overall, the recovery rate of a low number of surface bacteria with the agar contact method was less reliable than with the wet-dry double swabbing method. However, for high carcass Surface bacteria counts, the comparability of the results of both methods was determined. In particular, this practicable and animal equitable method offers the possibility of sampling live Slaughter pigs and realized sampling at various slaughter process stages without interrupting the workflow or changing the method.
The agar contact method enabled a longitudinal study in an abattoir with current Slaughter technology for determining the total viable count and Salmonella of the slaughter pig surface, tarting in the lairage to the stage before chilling. The investigation revealed a trend of the total viable count of the entire slaughter line comparable to various studies. In addition, showeringin the lairage pen as well as stunning and bleeding were identified as stages with a potential risk of cross-contamination. It could be shown that the agar contact method can contribute to the identification of process stages with the potential risk for systemic and individual deficiencies in the pig slaughter process and contaminated pig batches in relation of an additional abattoir specific slaughter process analysis. The total viable count and Salmonella isolates from pig skin surfaces recovered by such a simple sampling technique can be a useful and practicable way for evaluating and optimizing the slaughter hygiene.
The determination of the total viable count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria on carcasses is particularly suitable for assessing the process hygiene at the end of the pig slaughter line. Various destructive and non-destructive techniques are available for microbiological carcass examination, which possess different advantages and disadvantages. The agar contact method, in which the culture medium is homogenized for quantitative counting, is based on the use of agar contact plates. Methods using agar contact plates are standardized according toISO 18593:2018 for testing devices with the decisive advantage of a fast and practicable sampling procedure.
In order to evaluate the representativeness of the results of the agar contact method on pig carcass surfaces, the agar contact method was compared with the wet-dry double swabbing method standardized according to ISO 17604:2015-12 with regard to the detection of the total viable count in a comparative study. For this purpose, both methods were investigated comparatively firstly in an experimental approach on inoculated pig skin pieces and secondly on pig carcasses in a conventional abattoir. A statistically significant equivalence between the two non-destructive sampling methods was found for both trials. The field trial in the abattoir showed carcass surface bacteria counts that were at or below the minimum limit of detection for the agar contact method. Overall, the recovery rate of a low number of surface bacteria with the agar contact method was less reliable than with the wet-dry double swabbing method. However, for high carcass Surface bacteria counts, the comparability of the results of both methods was determined. In particular, this practicable and animal equitable method offers the possibility of sampling live Slaughter pigs and realized sampling at various slaughter process stages without interrupting the workflow or changing the method.
The agar contact method enabled a longitudinal study in an abattoir with current Slaughter technology for determining the total viable count and Salmonella of the slaughter pig surface, tarting in the lairage to the stage before chilling. The investigation revealed a trend of the total viable count of the entire slaughter line comparable to various studies. In addition, showeringin the lairage pen as well as stunning and bleeding were identified as stages with a potential risk of cross-contamination. It could be shown that the agar contact method can contribute to the identification of process stages with the potential risk for systemic and individual deficiencies in the pig slaughter process and contaminated pig batches in relation of an additional abattoir specific slaughter process analysis. The total viable count and Salmonella isolates from pig skin surfaces recovered by such a simple sampling technique can be a useful and practicable way for evaluating and optimizing the slaughter hygiene.