Survey on the hygienic status of plastic doors of a pig abattoir

Abstract

Three pig abattoirs in northeastern Germany were visited for examination of flexible plastic doors at the access to the chilling room. Swabs were taken from the front and back of the doors and were examined for aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. The aerobic plate count was within the range of 1.2 to 4.1 log CFU/cm2 on the front. On the back, between 0.9 and 3.5 log CFU/cm2 were obtained. In all three abattoirs, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Campylobacter were detected. The highest contamination was found at the bottom of the door wings. Transfer of pathogens via contact of carcasses and doors must be considered possible. As a consequence, this contact surface should be integrated into the control program of cleaning and disinfection. Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.