Department of Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
Department of Animal Science, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 21;20(3):1986. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031986.
Meat has been found to be a prime vehicle for the dissemination of foodborne pathogens to humans worldwide. Microbial meat contaminants can cause food-borne diseases in humans. The threat to consumers by microbial meat contaminants necessitates the studying of meat microbial loads to prevent potential illnesses in consumers. Studies investigating the meat microbial loads in South Africa are limited. The objective of this study was to compare microbial contamination of different meat types from low-throughput (LTA) and high-throughput abattoirs (HTA) at three stages of the distribution chain from abattoir to retail outlets. Beef, pork, and mutton (n = 216) carcasses were sampled: during the loading process at the abattoirs, when off-loading at the supply points and during marketing. All samples were subjected to total bacterial count (TBC), coliform count (CC), presumptive () (PEC) and ) detection. In mutton, TBC dominated at loading, CC was similar across distribution chain stages, PEC was the predominant microbial contaminant at the offloading stage at the HTA, but TBC was affected at loading, CC was similar across distribution chain stages, PEC was affected at loading, and was affected at the display stage at the LTAs. In beef, TBC had similar levels at loading; CC and PEC dominated at the display stage for the HTAs. However, TBC was affected at the display stage; CC was similar across stages; PEC was affected at the offloading stage at the LTAs. In pork, higher contamination levels were discovered at the display stage, CC dominated at the loading stage, with PEC detected at offloading at the HTAs but TBC, CC, PEC and were similar across stages at the LTAs. TBC, CC and PEC were affected by the storage period and meat supplier to meat shop distance whereas distance affected the TBC, CC and PEC. Meat supplier to meat shop distance negatively correlated with meat distribution chain stage but positively correlated with TBC, CC and PEC such as temperature. Temperature positively correlated with meat distribution chain stage and shop class. Meat distribution chain stage was negatively correlated with storage period, TBC, CC and PEC but positively correlated with shop class. Shop class negatively correlated with storage period, TBC, CC and PEC. Storage period positively correlated with TB, CC and PEC. TBC and meat type positively correlated with CC and PEC. CC positively correlated with PEC but negatively correlated with such as PEC. In conclusion, mutton, pork and beef meat are susceptible to microbial contamination at distribution chain stages in abattoirs.
肉类已被发现是全球食源性病原体传播给人类的主要媒介。微生物肉污染物会导致人类食源性疾病。微生物肉污染物对消费者的威胁需要研究肉中的微生物负荷，以防止消费者潜在疾病。南非的肉类微生物负荷研究有限。本研究的目的是比较低通量（LTA）和高通量屠宰场（HTA）在屠宰场到零售点的三个分销链阶段不同肉类类型的微生物污染。采集了牛肉、猪肉和羊肉（n = 216）胴体样本：在屠宰场装载过程中、在供应点卸载时和销售时。所有样品均进行总细菌计数（TBC）、大肠菌群计数（CC）、推定 （PEC）和 检测。在羊肉中，TBC 在装载时占主导地位，CC 在整个分销链阶段相似，PEC 是 HTA 卸载阶段的主要微生物污染物，但 TBC 在装载时受到影响，CC 在整个分销链阶段相似，PEC 在装载时受到影响，而 在 LTA 的展示阶段受到影响。在牛肉中，TBC 在装载时水平相似；HTA 的展示阶段 CC 和 PEC 占主导地位。然而，TBC 在展示阶段受到影响；CC 在各阶段相似；LTA 的卸载阶段 PEC 受到影响。在猪肉中，在展示阶段发现了更高的污染水平，CC 在装载阶段占主导地位，在 HTA 的卸载阶段检测到 PEC，但 TBC、CC、PEC 和 各阶段相似。TBC、CC 和 PEC 受到储存期和肉供应商到肉店距离的影响，而距离则影响 TBC、CC 和 PEC。肉供应商到肉店的距离与肉分销链阶段呈负相关，但与 TBC、CC 和 PEC 呈正相关，如温度。温度与肉分销链阶段和商店级别呈正相关。肉分销链阶段与储存期、TBC、CC 和 PEC 呈负相关，但与商店级别呈正相关。商店级别与储存期、TBC、CC 和 PEC 呈负相关。储存期与 TB、CC 和 PEC 呈正相关。TBC 和肉类类型与 CC 和 PEC 呈正相关。CC 与 PEC 呈正相关，但与 呈负相关，如 PEC。总之，羊肉、猪肉和牛肉在屠宰场的分销链阶段容易受到微生物污染。
