This paper presents an evaluation of the current EC meat inspection procedures, and some of their proposed revisions, in relation to their efficacy in assuring the microbiological safety and quality of meat, and the difficulties for health authorities and industry in providing such an assurance. It is concluded that neither the current nor the proposed revisions of ante and post mortem meat inspection procedures alone are sufficient, and that only integrated approaches, applied to each step of animal and meat production, will lead to better quality meat. Furthermore, for the design of a really effective and flexible long-term system of safety and quality assurance it is necessary to undertake a formal quantitative assessment of risk.

The campylobacter infection of 10 sows and their piglets was monitored. These pigs werekept on two multiplier farms. Rectal faeces samples were taken from the sows shortly beforelittering and at different intervals after littering. Swab samples of rectal content were taken fromsix piglets per sow at different intervals after birth. Nine sows were shown to be infected withcampylobacter before litter and all sows after litter, with an average colony count of 4·1in log N g–1 of faeces. Half of the piglets became infected withcampylobacter during the first week of life and 85%, after four weeks. Two genetic subtypingmethods (ERIC‐PCR and RFLP) were used to study the relationships between campylobacterisolates from sows and piglets. A large diversity of campylobacter subtypes was found.Nevertheless, piglets and their mothers often harboured campylobacter isolates with identicalgenetic subtyping profiles, suggesting that piglets become infected via their mothers. However,observed similarities in genetic subtyping profiles between campylobacters isolated on differentfarms made this difficult to prove.

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Lactic acid occurs in a broad variety of foods consumed by man since times immemorial. At an appropriate pH it has bactericidal properties while not adversely affecting the sensory attributes of food. The suitability of lactic acid as a surface decontaminant for fresh meats, slaughter byproducts and poultry were studied with special reference to markedly reducing the contamination with enteropathogenic Enterobacteriaceue and Campylobacter spp. and extension of shelf life under refrigeration. Discoloration of meat surfaces does not occur at concentrations of approximately 1% vlv lactic acid, at pH = 2.4. U p to 2% does not cause off-flavours in meat. Such treatments result in a significant reduction of the bacterial flora, not only by means of a pH drop but also by a specific action of the acid in the undissociated form. Undesirable flora shifts favouring pathogenic microorganisms at the cost of microbial antagonists have not been observed. Since there are no indications that lactic acid decontamination of meats could in any sense endanger human health, public health authorities would seem well advised to allow meat processing plants to use lactic acid as a decontaminating agent, provided they adhere to the strict conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

SUMMARY An attempt was made to interrelate the data obtained in experiments conducted by our Department along beef veal and pig slaughter lines, using lactic acid (LA) for the decontamination of carcasses, cold and hot boned primal cuts, slaughter byproducts, and butchers' knives. First and foremost it was observed, that provided Good Manufacturing Practices are strictly followed, the microbial load of carcass surfaces will be substantially reduced. LA-decontamination may result in an additional reduction. Since in the early post-mortem period bacteria are not yet attached to the meat surface, LA-decontamination should preferably be applied to the hot carcass. It was demonstrated that, dependent on mode and duration of application, LA sprays not exceeding 1% v/v (beef), 1.25% v/v (veal) and 1.5% v/v (pork) resulted in acceptable carcass colour scores. Blood spots, which are particularly prone to discolouration by lactic acid application, should be removed at an early postmortem stage e.g. by strong showering. The difference in surface pH between LA-treated and control carcasses disappeared within 72 hours post-mortem. Veal longissimus chops treated with LA solutions up to 2% v/v were not identified by a consumer taste panel as significantly different from controls. The 'immediate' bactericidal effect of LA-decontamination for beef veal and pig carcasses, as well as for pig liver and veal brain, amounted to approximately 1.5 log cycles for the aerobic colony counts, strongly dependent on substrate and conditions of decontamination. In addition, a 'delayed' bacteriostatic effect was observed during storage, which is probably the result of a prolonged lag phase of acid-injured micro-organisms surviving lactic acid decontamination. Ecological surveys revealed that LA resulted in a shift towards a Gram positive bacterial association acting as an antagonist of enteropathogenic Gram negative bacteria. Electrostatic application of LA solutions may contribute to limiting the amount of LA needed for effective decontamination. Adding 2.7% v/v LA to the spray water of a specially designed disinfection unit for butchers' knives effected a reduction in aerobic colony counts at 45° C which exceeded that achieved by conventional sanitizers at 82° C.

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Because current hygienic practices did not appear to result in bacteriologically fully acceptable porcine livers, the combined effects of decontamination and vacuum packaging on their bacteriological condition were investigated. Livers were taken from freshly slaughtered carcasses, immersed either in a 0.20% (v/v) lactic acid solution for 5 min or in hot water at 65°C for 15 s and subsequently vacuum packed and stored at 3 ± 1°C for 1 or 5 d. As compared with controls, both treatments resulted in significant reductions of total colony counts (TCC at 32°C), Enterobacteriaceae CFU-counts (EC at 37°C) and Lactobacillaceae CFU-counts (LC at 30°C) both after 1 d and, with the exception of LC in the hot water group, after 5 d of cold storage. Treatment with lactic acid was significantly more effective in reducing TCC and LC on liver surfaces than treatment with hot water. Moreover, lactic acid, but not hot water, improved the bacteriological condition of the inner parts of liver, resulting, after 5 d of storage at 3 ± 1°C, in a significant decrease of TCC and EC; a similar tendency was found for LC. Decontamination resulted in a reduction of the number of genera of Enterobacteriaceae as compared with controls. The genus Escherichia was isolated most frequently both in control and in treated groups. Slight discoloration of the liver surface was effected by both treatments. It disappeared, however, within 2 h after opening of vacuum packs.

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