Resumo

ARRUDA PINTO, PS. Swine carcass microbiological evaluation and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in a slaughterhouse in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2004, vol.24, n.1-2, pp.83-88. ISSN 1315-2556.

We evaluated swine carcass surface contamination by aerobic plate count (APC), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC) and Escherichia coli (EC) and identified microbiological hazards as well as and critical control points (CCPs) in different steps of the slaughter process through risk quantification. We collected 120 surface swab samples in swine carcasses at a slaughterhouse plant. Samples were collected after carcass scalding/dehairing (point A), before evisceration (point B), after evisceration and carcass splitting (point C) and after 24 hours of cooling (point D). Point A presented significantly higher contamination than points B, C and D for aerobic total bacteria (5.3 logCFU/cm²), TC (1.7 logNMP/cm²), FC (1.3 logNMP/cm²) and EC (0.6 logNMP/cm²). Risk of contamination at point A was also higher than at the other sampling points, with calculated odds ratios of 16.4, 17.9, 20.0 and 13.5, for the above listed microbiological indicators, respectively. The results indicate that point A, the scalding/dehairing step, constitutes an import critical control point in the swine slaughter process.

Palavras-chave : Aerobic plate count; coliforms; Escherichia coli; swine carcasses; HACCP.