INVESTIGATION OF HYGIENE INDICATORS AT CONTROL POINTS OF PILOT-SELECTED BUTCHER SHOPS

Abstract

In current study it was aimed to investigate hygiene indicators at control points of pilot-selected butcher shops (n=10) by using the conventional swabbing method and ATP Bioluminescence swabbing method. Air sampling device (Newtry™ Air sampler HAS-100B) was used for the hygiene control of the microbiological load of air in cold storage rooms. The number of yeast-mold was measured for determination microbiological load of air. For the measurement of the microbial load in food handlers’ hands, staphylococci, coliform bacteria counts were investigated. In order to measure the microbiological load of the surfaces coliform bacteria and total mesophile aerobe bacteria (TMAB) counts were investigated. Surface samples were collected from 3 different points which were determined as control points. These were: 1. cutting surfaces, 2. knife, 3. mincing machine. All the surfaces were mentioned as cleaned before the sampling. A scoring system was developed and good hygiene practice (GHP) status was defined for each butcher shops depending on this scoring system. The calculated scores showed us that, most of the selected butcher shops had satisfied level of GHP. The most important contamination point was found to be the cutting boards and mincing machines even they were cleaned. Air microbiological load in cold storage rooms were below the limits and hands of staffs were mostly clean in terms of coliform and S. aureus. We can conclude that; the scoring system can be used as a tool of hygiene status monitoring.