Identificação de pontos de contaminação por Salmonella spp. e enumeração de micro-organismos indicadores (mesófilos aeróbios e Enterobacteriaceae) no abate e processamento de bovinos.

Abstract

Meat is one of the most important population diet items and has fundamental importance for the economy of the country. However, both for effective consoledation of Brazilian fresh beef exports to other markets, such as to offer domestic products with nutrition quality and food security is essential for maintaining an adequate shelf life and an acceptable microbiological quality of these products. In this context, this study was carried out to verify the microbiological quality by Salmonella spp., mesophilic aerobic microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae quantification on bovine carcasses from two abattoirs-slaughterhouses with different levels of sanitary inspection (federal and state), located in southern Rio Grande do Sul and beyond, curtailments, equipment surfaces, utensils, and hands of food handlers, in the slaughterhouse for state inspection. Sixty cattle carcasses were evaluated two abattoirs-slaughterhouses, in four points in the slaughter line (after bleeding, after skinning, after evisceration, after washing and before cooling), totaling 240 samples. In the state inspection slaughterhouse the carcasses were sampled environmental surface slaughtering and processing (sawing open the breastbone, sawing the division of carcasses, table, knife and handlers) and two cuts (loin and fillet) totaling 52 samples. For statistical evaluation of results was carried out an analysis of variance followed by Tukey test and determining the correlation coefficients between microbial concentrations recorded in the sampled points. Among the points studied showed higher concentrations of mesophilic aerobic micro-organisms and Enterobactericeae as well as the presence of Salmonella spp. at the collection point after bleeding, indicating that the leather of cattle is a introduction source of microorganisms in the environment two abattoirs-slaughterhouses, and that the operations of hygiene and sanitation leather cattle before slaughter were not effective for prevent entry of these microorganisms in the environment of slaughter. From the scores of environmental surfaces found that the handlers are an important point of contamination in the state inspection slaughterhouse considering that showed significantly higher concentrations of mesophilic bacteria and Enterobactericeae in comparison with other items of the environment. Salmonella spp. was found in the leather of cattle, in the two abattoirs-slaughterhouses, however, was not detected in any other sample point of the slaughter line or in the environment and cuts, showing that the culling operations were effective to control contamination carcass and meat cuts for that microorganism. Finally, the slaughterhouses with different levels of sanitary inspection showed high correlation coefficients for the concentration of micro-organisms and aerobic mesophile (R=0,97) Enterobactericeae (R=0,91), and for the presence of Salmonella spp. no significant differences, indicating that the forms of contamination of carcasses during slaughter operations for these microorganisms are probably the same.