In-Plant Validation Study of Harvest Process Controls in Two Beef Processing Plants in Honduras

Abstract

Imported meat in the United States can become a food safety hazard if proper food safety programs are not fully implemented in foreign meat processing plants. Thus, exporting countries' food safety inspection systems must be equivalent to the U.S. federal inspection system to become eligible to export meat to the United States. The objective of this study was to validate the beef harvest Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and food safety programs of two beef processing plants in Honduras operating under U.S. equivalency standards by evaluating the presence of Salmonella (plant A) and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC; plant B) on hides. Additionally, evaluating pathogen transfer from hides to carcasses, as detected by preevisceration sampling, and the mitigation of transferred pathogens, by application of carcass spray interventions and determination of Salmonella presence in lymph nodes, was also conducted. In plant A, the presence of Salmonella on hides (n = 30 of 687; 4.4%) was significantly greater (P < 0.10) than on carcasses swabbed at preevisceration (n = 7 of 687; 1.0%), after intervention (n = 13 of 678; 1.9%), and in lymph nodes (n = 14 of 691; 2.0%). In plant B, Salmonella was not detected on hide samples; therefore, data could not be used for validation of the harvest Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points program. Alternatively, STEC presence on hides (n = 21 of 85; 24.7%) was greater (P < 0.10) than on carcasses at preevisceration (n = 3 of 85; 3.5%) and after intervention (n = 1 of 85; 1.2%). Pathogen presence in plant B did not differ (P = 0.306) between carcasses in preevisceration and postintervention stages; both, however, were substantially low. Both plants' controls effectively reduced Salmonella and STEC presence in postintervention carcasses.

Reduction of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in a beef abattoir

“…Mapping showed that the abattoir environment was stx-positive (12.9%) in most types of samples, while stx detection was lower in surfaces in contact with product (10.8%) than in those not in contact (29.6%). Our results agree with data reported in Honduras before the implementation of improvement actions (Casas et al, 2019). They are also in line with a study conducted in an Argentinean abattoir showing that although operators applied SSOP correctly, stx-positivity was identified in pre-operational samples (Costa at al., 2020).…”

“…Despite the frequency of stx in carcasses before and after the improvement actions decreased, no significant differences were found, showing that SSOP and GMP reinforcement was not enough to eliminate stx. Thus, the application of combined proven intervention measures as part of an HACCP plan at the end of the slaughter line would be useful to further (Casas et al, 2019). Unlike carcass samples, a significant decrease in the detection of stx in beef cuts (10.1 to 4.8%) was achieved after improvement actions, verifying their success.…”

“…The mere detection of the stx gene (presumptive STEC) or the isolation of any STEC strain in the environment and food are not enough to predict the health risk associated with consumption (Feng, 2014). The environmental mapping of the abattoir based on the presence of presumptive STEC was used as an indicator to control environmental contamination (Casas et al, 2019). This methodology could seem excessive for the identification of sectors where it would be necessary to implement improvement actions to decrease STEC contamination in beef.…”

“…These authors found that sanitization was not enough to eliminate stx because the environment was already contaminated, before sanitizing; thus, the detection of stx-positive samples during the operational process was inevitable (Costa et al, 2020). Other studies have also found stx-positivity in knives, aprons, platforms, floor, grids, walls and doors, reporting them as possible sources of beef contamination with STEC in the abattoir (Atnafie et al, 2017;Casas et al, 2019;Costa, 2019). Although SSOP were appropriate for the abattoir requirements when this study started, operator hand samples were stx-positive in all sectors.…”

“…Beef can be contaminated at different stages of the agri-food chain, from the abattoir to consumption (EFSA and ECDC, 2018). Consequently, the microbiological mapping of the entire production chain is crucial to identify stages with the highest probability of contamination (Casas et al, 2019;Fajardo-Guerrero et al, 2020). In abattoirs, STEC are transferred to beef carcasses during slaughtering, dressing, chilling or deboning (Bosilevac et al, 2015;Brusa et al, 2019).…”