Impact of the Evisceration Process on the Hygiene Standards of Carcasses within Slaughterhouses
Douniazed Mehamdia
Jihan Djabali
Roumaissa Aidoudi
Red meat is a vital component of a balanced diet due to its rich nutritional content, particularly its high-quality proteins. However, it can also serve as a conducive environment for the proliferation of numerous bacteria. To assess the level of hygiene and microbial contamination in red meat, a comprehensive study was conducted, both before and after the evisceration stage at a slaughterhouse. This study involved meticulous swabbing of three bovine carcasses, five sheep carcasses, and two goat carcasses, focusing on three specific anatomical regions: the shoulder, flank, and thigh. The swabbing method used was the standard microbiological procedure of wet swabbing. The primary objective of this investigation was to quantify and categorize two critical surface microbiota: the total aerobic mesophilic flora and coliforms. The collected samples underwent thorough phenotypic characterization using established microbiological techniques. It is essential to note that the distribution of microbial populations on the surfaces of bovine, sheep, and goat carcasses displayed significant non-uniformity. This irregular pattern reflects the complex interplay of environmental factors and microbial interactions during the meat production process. Before the evisceration stage, the average coliform counts were approximately 3.87 log10 CFU/cm² for bovine carcasses, 3.65 log10 CFU/cm² for sheep carcasses, and 3.43 log10 CFU/cm² for goat carcasses. However, after the evisceration stage, these counts increased, reaching 4.97 log10 CFU/cm² for bovine, 3.98 log10 CFU/cm² for sheep, and 4.26 log10 CFU/cm² for goats. Regarding the total aerobic mesophilic flora, microbial quantification before evisceration showed counts of 4.09 log10 CFU/cm² for bovine carcasses, 4.05 log10 CFU/cm² for sheep carcasses, and 3.65 log10 CFU/cm² for goat carcasses. After evisceration, these counts notably rose to 4.44 log10 CFU/cm² for bovine, 4.52 log10 CFU/cm² for sheep, and 5.09 log10 CFU/cm² for goats. It is crucial to emphasize that the recorded microbial counts exceeded acceptable contamination thresholds, indicating a level of concern higher than what has been reported in similar studies in the microbiological literature. This increase in contamination levels suggests potential lapses in hygiene protocols during meat processing stages.
Keywords:Slaughterhouse, Carcass, Evisceration, Hygiene, Contamination
