Assessment of cleanness of environmental surfaces in cattle barns and piggeries

Abstract

Hygienic issues are important in environmental surfaces of animal houses because of food quality and animal welfare. The aim of this study was to review methods in cleanability research of cattle barns and piggeries. Surface materials, animal welfare and hygiene are also discussed. Concerning different detection methods of cleanness, visual methods have dominated in field studies, but some successful attempts to use optical methods are also presented. A wider selection of different kinds of instrumental, microbiological and visual methods and their combinations have been used in laboratory studies. Radiochemical methods have been demonstrated to be suitable as quantitative laboratory methods. In the case of material studies, laboratory experiments are important prior to field experiments in order to screen potential materials, whereas the field studies provide practical information about the behaviour of the surface materials. The importance of cleanness of environmental surfaces in cattle barns and piggeries is also discussed in the context of material development.

Escherichia coliO157:H7 in beef cattle: on farm contamination and pre-slaughter control methods

“…However, Barker et al (2007) reported that even though automatic scrapers can improve hygiene in barns because of frequent scraping, they can also make cattle dirtier because of the wave of slurry that coats the claws and possibly the lower legs of cattle. The surface properties and cleanability of flooring and feeding surfaces of cattle pens may also affect food safety (Kymäläinen et al , 2009; Määttä et al , 2009). For example, coatings were found to improve cleanability of concrete (Kymäläinen et al , 2008).…”

Hygienic level and surface contamination in fresh-cut vegetable production plants

“…in the fish industry (Miettinen, Aarnisalo, Salo, & Sjöberg, 2001), slaughterhouses and the meat industry (Suihko et al, 2002,;Gudbjörnsdóttir et al, 2004), the dairy industry, beweries (Ogden, 1993) and retail food premises (Christison, Lindsay, & von Holy, 2008;Tebbutt, 1991). Examination of surface cleanability in general has included different microbiological, biochemical, chemical, physical and visual methods (Kymäläinen, Kuisma, Määttä, & Sjöberg, 2009;Allende, Aguayo, & Artes, 2004), many of which have been developed in recent decades (e.g. Favero, McDade, Robertsen, Hoffman, & Edwards, 1968;Sveum, Moberg, Rude, & Frank, 1992;Griffiths, 1996).…”

The effect of rubber mats on lesions and lameness in gilts housed in gestation stalls

“…The risk of leg or claw lesions in pigs kept on slatted floor varies with slat and gap width relative to claw size and with the material used for floor manufacture (EFSA, 2005). Considering floor material, concrete floors are most frequently used in animal housing (Kymäläinen et al, 2009;Maes et al, 2016). Concrete is fairly durable and resistant to wear, acceptable for maintaining appropriate hygienic conditions and relatively inexpensive.…”