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Arcobacter contamination on pre‐ and post‐chilled bovine carcasses and in minced beef at retail
Author(s) -
De Smet S.,
De Zutter L.,
Van Hende J.,
Houf K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04430.x
Subject(s) - arcobacter , contamination , biology , food contaminant , multiplex polymerase chain reaction , campylobacter , food science , hygiene , veterinary medicine , food safety , isolation (microbiology) , food microbiology , listeria , polymerase chain reaction , listeria monocytogenes , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , bacteria , ecology , biochemistry , genetics , pathology , gene
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.