Self-Monitoring Microbiological Criteria for the Assessment of Hygienic Procedures During Chicken Slaughtering

Abstract

Self-monitoring procedures are adopted by food industries to ensure the quality and safety of final products, considering hygiene and processing criteria. This study aimed to evaluate contamination in chicken processing, considering the microbiological criteria proposed by self-monitoring systems. Environmental samples from reception, slaughtering and processing were collected from three chicken slaughterhouses (Sl1, Sl2, Sl3), and subjected to microbiological analysis to enumerate hygiene indicators microorganisms: mesophilic aerobes, enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and Escherichia coli. The obtained counts were converted to log 10 , compared by ANOVA (p<0.05) and self-monitoring microbiological criteria for each slaughterhouse were considered. In reception, the mean counts of hygiene indicator microorganisms in Sl3 were significantly higher than mean counts observed in Sl1 and Sl2 (p<0.05). During slaughtering, the chilling was enough to decrease the mean counts of all hygiene indicator microorganisms in Sl1, Sl2 and Sl3 (p<0.05). Based on self-monitoring criteria, in the first stages of slaughtering the facilities presented higher frequencies of chicken carcasses with counts above their respective reference values. Sl02 presented carcasses with higher counts after final washing, resulting in environmental samples with higher counts when compared to Sl1 and Sl3 (p<0.05). Even considering the high counts observed in the initial steps of chicken processing and slaughtering, the results indicated the efficacy of hygienic procedures in providing chicken carcasses and cuts with low microbiological contamination. Self-monitoring criteria supported these results, and the high levels of microbial contamination during the initial steps of slaughtering require subsequent antimicrobial hygienic procedures.

Effect of processing on the microbiological quality and safety of chicken carcasses at slaughterhouse

“…The lower mesophiles counts reported by Dias et al . (2017) after chilling could be explained by the chilling system used, since these authors used immersion in water with chlorine instead of air chilling as in the present study (Dias et al ., 2017). However, a significant increase in Salmonella incidence on carcasses can occur if an immersion chiller is used (Arvanitoyannis & Varzakas, 2009).…”

“…Also, Dias et al . (2017) reported higher mesophiles and E . coli counts after defeathering than after evisceration and chilling, with a significant reduction after chilling.…”

“…Dias et al . (2017) reported mesophiles counts after chilling between 1.19 ± 0.98 and 3.67 ± 0.32, while E . coli counts ranged between 0.60 ± 1.20 and 2.33 ± 0.90, depending on the slaughterhouse.…”

Microbiological assessment at slaughter of chicken carcasses from commercial, backyard and semi-backyard production systems

“…Chicken meat is contaminated by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms during all stages of the production chain [9][10][11]. Therefore, the search for hygiene indicator microorganisms (aerobic mesophilic, coliforms, enterobactereaceae, Escherichia coli), and the presence of pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Listeria) is fundamental for monitoring hygiene practices in poultry slaughterhouses [5,10,12,13].…”

Controle Do Processo De Limpeza E Desinfecção Sobre Salmonella Sp. E Escherichia Coli Em Equipamentos Utilizados Em Abatedouros De Aves

“…A presença da Salmonella sp. em abatedouros, causa grandes perdas econômicas que podem ocorrer principalmente, devido a deteriorações microbiológicas das carcaças, e consequentes aparecimentos de doenças de origem alimentar nos consumidores como apresenta Dias et al (2017). Devido a esses fatores, o consumidor passou a ser mais exigente com a segurança dos alimentos, pressionando o governo a adotar medidas de prevenção, que garantam a qualidade e inocuidade dos alimentos.…”