Practice 32 - Analysis of meat, poultry and their products

Abstract

Animal pathogens can cause human diseases with close animal–man contact, such as among farmers and persons working in slaughter plants. The presence of Escherichia coli indicates unsanitary conditions. Cooked meat is an ideal environment for microbial growth due to high nutrients, a neutral pH, high water, and low salt content. Heating in the meat-curing process destroys most of the meat flora except thermoduric bacterial spores. Pathogenic microorganisms associated with meats and meat products are E. coli, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella. Microbial contamination results from the poor sanitation of processing environments and handling conditions. Microbiological quality and characteristics of meat and meat products can be indicated by microbiological analysis with respect to aerobic plate count, coliforms count, and predominant microorganisms count from specific products by plate count, direct microscopic count, and methylene blue reduction techniques. Bacterial and nonbacterial greening can also be used to indicate the quality of meat products.