PubMed1987
Observations were made on the hygiene state of the meat-conditioning departments and enterprises of 13 meat-dressing combines. Both qualitative and quantitative investigations were carried out with regard to 9 bacteriologic indexes. The result of studies on a total of 1,042 samples of washings taken from equipment, working tools, machines, working milieu, and hands and aprons of workers prior to beginning work showed that in case all regulations of cleaning, washing, and disinfection were observed the residual microflora, and, more specifically organisms that were of interest from a sanitary point of view were lowered to minimum counts. No pathogenic Staphylococcus and Salmonella organisms were isolated. It was found that during work the count of indicative organisms considerably rose. No pathogenic staphylococci were isolated. In one case only were there Salmonella typhimurium organisms on the surface of a circular saw for carcass cutting. The overall bacteriologic investigation of a total of 137 samples of minced meat and meat balls and other products prepared with such meat revealed that the average counts of various organisms ranged as follows: aerobic mesophiles--3,653 830/g, and coliforms--31,748/g; Escherichia coli organisms were demonstrated in 10.22 per cent of the cases, B. proteus--in 1.46 per cent, and pathogenic staphylococci--in 3.65 per cent of the samples. None of the samples, weighing 25 g each showed the presence of Salmonellae. No correlative dependence was found between the coli titer and the coli index of the products.