No abstract

Aims:  To obtain the first information on the occurrence of Escherichia coli O157 on hides of slaughtered cattle in Serbia. Methods and Results:  A total of 355 swabs were taken on the slaughterline from five areas of hide of each of the 71 cattle in a single commercial abattoir in Serbia. Using an ISO method incorporating enrichment and immunomagnetic separation steps, E. coli O157 was isolated from the hides of 20 animals (28·2%). With respect to different areas of the hides, the occurrence of the pathogen was, in decreasing order: hooves (11·3%), brisket (8·4%), rump (7·0%), neck (4·2) and flank (2·8%). In addition, factors that had more or less effects on the occurrence included visible dirtiness of the hide, cattle’s age category, geographical origin of the animals and season. Conclusions:  This study revealed the presence of E. coli O157 in the beef chain in Serbia and confirmed hide as an important potential source of related contamination of beef carcasses. Therefore, incorporation of preskinning hide decontamination treatments into HACCP‐based slaughterline hygiene control measures could be very useful. Significance and Impact of the Study:  The results will enable further optimization of necessary measures along the beef chain to reduce the E. coli O157 risks in Serbia.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

A b s t r a c t: In this study, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-

The connection between diet and health was known to the oldest civilizations. Meat processing has influenced the increase of meat consumption, protein utilization and its energy value. Fermented sausages which are prepared in a safe way are rich in animal proteins and are an important part of the diet. Meat and adipose tissue are the basic ingredients in the production of fermented sausages, along with spices and salts, and other additives depending on the specifics of the product. Ripening is a process that separates raw sausages from all other types of sausages, and the quality of raw materials and their treatment directly affects the quality of the finished product, because the process of fermented sausage production is dominated by biological and biochemical processes. Different types of foods can cause food-borne illnesses, one of which is zoonotic yersiniosis caused by Yersinia enterocolitica. Due to the importance of Yersinia in meat, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended that in addition to controlling the presence of Salmonella, it is mandatory to examine pork carcasses for the presence of Y. enterocolitica.

Staphylococcal food poisoning is one of the most common foodborne diseases resulting from the ingestion of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) preformed in foods by enterotoxigenic strains of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS), mainly Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of enterotoxigenic strains of coagulase-positive staphylococci in raw milk during the production process leads to the contamination of products and outbreaks of alimentary intoxication. The problem of Staphylococcus aureus in cheese remains significant on a global level. Domestic cheese contaminated with enterotoxigenic staphylococci can result in the formation of enterotoxin, which can produce foodborne illness when the product is ingested. Due to microbiological contamination, microbiological criteria are tools that can be used in assessing the safety and quality of foods. In order to avoid foodborne illness, the Serbian Regulation on General and Special Conditions for Food Hygiene (Official Gazette of RS, No. 72/10) provides microbiological criteria for staphylococcal enterotoxins in dairy products