Effects of Washing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures on the Microbiological Quality and Safety of Cattle Carcasses

Sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP) are self-control tools used by the food industry to minimize contamination and ensure compliance with quality standards and safety for consumption. SSOPs are implemented in slaughterhouses to reduce or eliminate contamination during the slaughter stage. This work aimed to verify the microbiological effect of SSOP for washing beef carcasses, with pressurized (3 atm) and chlorinated (5 ppm) water from the hind to the front limb. In the forelimb region, groups of indicator microorganisms were quantified, and Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, pathotypes of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli non-0157, and Staphylococcus aureus with toxigenic potential were investigated in cattle carcasses slaughtered in northern Brazil before and after washing with SSOP. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the quantification of enterobacteria, mesophilic aerobes, total coliforms, E. coli, and S. aureus after washing with the SSOP. However, were detected Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing (STEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), and enterotoxigenic (ETEC) E. coli in the sampled carcass regions after washing. S. aureus, potentially producing enterotoxin D, was identified in two carcasses (6.66 %) before and after washing SSOP. Therefore, the SSOP may have spread contamination from other carcass areas to the forequarter region. Therefore, the processes, techniques, and SSOPs carried out at this stage must be reviewed, verified, and monitored to avoid the inclusion of pathogens that could compromise the microbiological safety of carcasses during the pre-washing stages.