Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Salmonella spp., micro-organism indicators in export cattle carcasses

Samples were collected from 100 carcasses in a slaughterhouse exporter, located within the State of Sao Paulo, sampled over a year through the sponge method, applied to the chest of the animal. Samples were taken at three points, denominated A, B and C, each carcass sampled at three points located in the following steps: after bleeding (A) after skinning (B) and after washing (C). Research was conducted for Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. and Micro-organism (Petrifilms (R) AC, EC and EB). Listeria or E. coli O157 were not isolated in any of the 300 samples. Salmonella spp. was isolated in nine, eight at point A and one at point B. For Mesophiles, scores ranged from 0 to 6.8 log UFC/cm(2); for Total coliforms, 0 to 4.57 log UFC/cm(2) and E. coli from 0 to 4.38 log UFC/cm(2). With the results obtained and compared with the literature, it is concluded that the establishment in this study has both sanitary quality (due to the low prevalence of pathogens) and hygienic quality (due to the sharp decrease in the microbial load of indicators along the line.