Visuelle und mikrobiologische Prozessanalyse der Schweineschlachtung in einem Kleinbetrieb

Based on the visual analysis of the pig slaughter process in a small-scale abattoir, process steps were selected. At each step, 50 carcasses were examined at the neck, brisket, back, and ham for total viable counts (TVC) and Enterobacteriaceae using the wet-dry double-swab technique. Hygienic weak points recognized in the visual analysis were generally verified by higher microbial counts on the corresponding process steps and sampling sites. After bleeding, TVC mainly averaged out at >5.0 log10 CFU cm-2 and Enterobacteriaceae were almost constantly found. The combined scalding & dehairing reduced the results distinctly (p0.05). In the chiller, mean TVC ranged from 3.0 to 3.5 log10 CFU cm-2 and only the increase at the neck proved to be significant (p<0.05). On the other hand, the proportion of Enterobacteriaceae-positive results was generally reduced. To improve the situation in the examined abattoir, in particular the following points must be addressed: The cleanliness of the animals, the implementation of an additional singeing step after polishing, strict maintenance of good slaughter hygiene practices, and in the medium term constructional improvements