Prevalence of Clostridium perfringens in Pork during Processing

Abstract

The prevalence of Clostridium perfringens on pork carcasses, fluid from the body cavity, livers, hearts, spleens, visceral pans, scalding vat water and pork sausage was determined. Clostridium perfringens was not detected on pork carcasses, hearts, spleens nor visceral pans. Fluid from the body cavity had 11.8% positive incidence while livers had 21.4% for interior tissues and 11.8% for exterior tissues. The organism could always be isolated from scalding vat water. Commercial pork sausage had 38.9% prevalence of C. perfringens . Numbers of spores and their heat resistance are also reported.