Visual evaluation of cattle cleanliness as a tool to reduce carcass microbial contamination: A comparison in two slaughterhouses [La valutazione visiva dello stato di pulizia dei bovini come strumento per ridurre la contaminazione delle carcasse: Confronto in due macelli]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of cleanliness of cattle slaughtered on hide and carcass contamination as indicated by aerobic colony count (ACC) and Enterobacteriaceae count (EC). Cattle in two slaughterhouses were visually inspected and assigned to a category from 1 (very clean) to 5 (very dirty) based on cleanliness. Fifteen animals for each category were randomly selected in each slaugterhouse and the hides and carcasses sampled and analyzed for ACC, EC. Results showed that the increasing dirt of the cattle was associated with higher ACC and EC on the hides and with higher ACC on carcasses in both slaughterhouse. In one slaughterhouse a correlation between hide cleanliness and EC was shown. The different characteristics of the slaughterhouses may influence the transfer of bacteria from hide to carcass. The study supports the conclusion that the pre-slaughter visual evaluation of animal cleanliness and application of corrective actions can be an effective aid to reduce carcass contamination in both slaughterhouses.