Contamination Of Meat Products Research Articles

Effectiveness and Functional Mechanism of a Multicomponent Sanitizer against Biofilms Formed by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Five Salmonella Serotypes Prevalent in the Meat Industry

Biofilm formation by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica at meat processing plants poses a potential risk of meat product contamination. Many common sanitizers are unable to completely eradicate biofilms formed by these foodborne pathogens because of the three-dimensional biofilm structure and the presence of bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). A novel multifaceted approach combining multiple chemical reagents with various functional mechanisms was used to enhance the effectiveness of biofilm control. We tested a multicomponent sanitizer consisting of a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), hydrogen peroxide, and the accelerator diacetin for its effectiveness in inactivating and removing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica biofilms under meat processing conditions. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella biofilms on common contact surfaces were treated with 10, 20, or 100% concentrations of the multicomponent sanitizer solution for 10 min, 1 h, or 6 h, and log reductions in biofilm mass were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to directly observe the effect of sanitizer treatment on biofilm removal and bacterial morphology. After treatment with the multicomponent sanitizer, viable E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella biofilm cells were below the limit of detection, and the prevalence of both pathogens was low. After treatment with a QAC-based control sanitizer, surviving bacterial cells were countable, and pathogen prevalence was higher. SEM analysis of water-treated control samples revealed the three-dimensional biofilm structure with a strong EPS matrix connecting bacteria and the contact surface. Treatment with 20% multicomponent sanitizer for 10 min significantly reduced biofilm mass and weakened the EPS connection. The majority of the bacterial cells had altered morphology and compromised membrane integrity. Treatment with 100% multicomponent sanitizer for 10 min dissolved the EPS matrix, and no intact biofilm structure was observed; instead, scattered clusters of bacterial aggregates were detected, indicating the loss of cell viability and biofilm removal. These results indicate that the multicomponent sanitizer is effective, even after short exposure with dilute concentrations, against E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica biofilms.

Facile preparation of magnetic covalent organic framework-metal organic framework composite materials as effective adsorbents for the extraction and determination of sedatives by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in meat samples.

Sedatives, which are prone to cause residues in animals, have been abused in modern animal husbandry. Long-term consumption of contaminated meat products would be unfavorable to the human nervous system. Taking into account public health and food safety, it was essential to develop an effective method for the enrichment and detection of sedatives in meat. Fe3 O4 @TbBd@ZIF-8 composites were synthesized by using Fe3 O4 nanoparticles as a magnetic core and 1,3,5-triformylbenzene (Tb) and benzidine (Bd) as two building blocks to form Fe3 O4 @TbBd. Furthermore, the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was modified on the surface of the Fe3 O4 @TbBd. In addition, Fe3 O4 @TbBd@ZIF-8 was used as a magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbent of typical animal sedatives in pork samples. Mass spectrometry analysis was conducted by electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry in positive-ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. By combining the optimized MSPE approach with high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS), an accurate and sensitive method for the determination of sedatives was developed. The method exhibited good linearity in the range of 0.03-70 μg/kg with the correlation coefficient (R2 ) ranging from 0.9982 to 0.9999, high sensitivity with limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 0.04 to 0.2 μg/kg, and high precision with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5.5%. The adsorption behaviors of Fe3 O4 @TbBd@ZIF-8 towards sedatives were more suitably described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm model. The proposed MSPE-HPLC/MS/MS method was successfully applied to the determination of sedatives in real samples and showed excellent applicability. Several sedatives were detected in the selected meat samples. The developed method was shown to be facile, sensitive and accurate for sedative detection and also showed great prospects for determination of sedatives from other complex samples.

Effect of Lactobacillus spp. on adhesion, invasion, and translocation of Campylobacter jejuni in chicken and pig small-intestinal epithelial cell lines

BackgroundCampylobacter spp. are a major cause of bacterial food-borne diarrhoeal disease. This mainly arises through contamination of meat products during processing. For infection, Campylobacter spp. must adhere to epithelial cells of the mucus layer, survive conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and colonise the intestine of the host. Addition of probiotic bacteria might promote competitive adhesion to epithelial cells, consequently reducing Campylobacter jejuni colonisation. Effect of Lactobacillus spp. (PCS20, PCS22, PCS25, LGG, PCK9) on C. jejuni adhesion, invasion and translocation in pig (PSI cl.1) and chicken (B1OXI) small-intestine cell lines, as well as pig enterocytes (CLAB) was investigated.ResultsOverall, in competitive adhesion assays with PSI cl.1 and CLAB cell monolayers, the addition of Lactobacillus spp. reduced C. jejuni adherence to the cell surface, and negatively affected the C. jejuni invasion. Interestingly, Lactobacillus spp. significantly impaired C. jejuni adhesion in three-dimensional functional PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell models. Also, C. jejuni did not translocate across PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell monolayers when co-incubated with probiotics. Among selected probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG was the strain that reduced adhesion efficacy of C. jejuni most significantly under co-culture conditions.ConclusionThe addition of Lactobacillus spp. to feed additives in livestock nutrition might be an effective novel strategy that targets Campylobacter adhesion to epithelial cells, and thus prevents colonisation, reduces the transmission, and finally lowers the incidence of human campylobacteriosis.

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Histamine Levels of Sie Balu After Gamma Irradiated.

The presence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and histamine in foodstuffs indicate the level of deterioration in the quality of food and cause poisoning. Sie Balu is the Acehnese dried meat preserved by the addition of salt, acid and dried, but the long processing and drying it under the sun can cause microbial contamination in meat products. Irradiation can eliminate bacteria in foodstuffs. This study aimed to determine the amount of LAB and histamine levels of Sie Balu after irradiation doses of 5, 7 and 9 kGy and stored 2 to 4 months. Sie Balu was made of fresh beef 5 kg, dried in the sun to dry, vacuumed and irradiated with gamma rays. The samples for LAB determination cultured in MRS agar and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The number of colonies was counted using Total Plate Count. The histamine level of Sie Balu conducted by ELISA. Irradiation did not significantly (P0.05) affect the amount of LAB, but the shelf life significantly (P0.05) affected the amount of LAB in Sie Balu. Extending the shelf life up to 4 months can increase the amount of LAB. Irradiation dose and shelf life had no effect on histamine levels of Sie Balu (P0.05). This study concluded that irradiated Sie Balu cannot be stored for more than two months.

Clinicopathologic features and pathologic diagnosis of hepatitis E

Infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes, if not the most common, of acute hepatitis worldwide. In the last decade, we have learned that, in addition to the endemically and epidemically occurring form of hepatitis E, which is predominantly transmitted by contaminated drinking water and constitutes a significant health problem in resource-poor countries, there is a globally existing form of hepatitis E, which is a zoonosis and as such is primarily transmitted by the consumption of contaminated meat products. Although in most cases hepatitis E is subclinical or mild and self-limiting, pregnant women and patients with liver cirrhosis may have severe, occasionally even fatal disease, and immunocompromised individuals may develop chronic hepatitis E. Considering the substantial global health burden caused by HEV infection, it is surprising how limited our knowledge of hepatitis E pathology still is. In this article, we describe localization studies on HEV infection and discuss their implications for everyday diagnostics. Furthermore, we outline and discuss the spectrum of histologic changes, which can be found in HEV infection in various clinical contexts.

The Growth Inhibitory Activity of Tasmannia lanceolata (Poir.) A.C. Sm against the Food-poisoning Pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica

Introduction: Yersinia enterocolitica is a major source of food poisoning via the consumption of contaminated meat products, causing acute gastroenteric yersiniosis. Tasmannia lanceolata has been widely documented for its antiseptic properties, repressing the growth of an extensive range of bacteria. Despite this, Tasmannia lanceolata has yet to be been tested for its inhibitory capacity against Y. enterocolitica. Methods: T. lanceolata leaf and berry extracts were prepared by maceration and growth inhibitory activity against a clinical strain of Y. enterocolitica was examined by disc diffusion assays. The MIC values of the extracts were determined to quantify and compare their relative efficacies. Toxicity was determined using an Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: T. lanceolata leaf and berry extracts displayed potent growth inhibitory activity in the disc diffusion assay against Y. enterocolitica. The ethyl acetate and chloroform leaf extracts (MICs of 30 and 53 μg/mL respectively) and the hexane berry extract (MIC = 34 μg/mL) were particularly potent growth inhibitors. The methanol and water extracts of both the berry and leaf, as well as the leaf ethyl acetate extract, also had strong growth inhibitory activity against Y. enterocolitica, albeit with a higher MIC values (250-300μg/mL). All other extracts had lower efficacy, although their MIC values also indicated good inhibitory activity (with the exception of the chloroform berry extract). When assessed for toxicity, all T. lanceolata extracts were non-toxic (LC50 values >1000 μg/mL) in the Artemia franciscana bioassay. Conclusion: The non-toxicity of the T. lanceolata berry and leaf extracts, combined with the potent inhibitory bioactivity observed against Y. enterocolitica, demonstrates their potential as therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of yersiniosis.

The Current Host Range of Hepatitis E Viruses.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen transmitting both human to human via the fecal oral route and from animals to humans through feces, direct contact, and consumption of contaminated meat products. Understanding the host range of the virus is critical for determining where potential threats to human health may be emerging from and where potential reservoirs for viral persistence in the environment may be hiding. Initially thought to be a human specific disease endemic to developing countries, the identification of swine as a primary host for genotypes 3 and 4 HEV in industrialized countries has begun a long journey of discovering novel strains of HEV and their animal hosts. As we continue identifying new strains of HEV in disparate animal species, it is becoming abundantly clear that HEV has a broad host range and many of these HEV strains can cross between differing animal species. These cross-species transmitting strains pose many unique challenges to human health as they are often unrecognized as sources of viral transmission.

Quantitative Detection of Beef Contamination in Cooked Meat Products by ELISA.

Background: Concerns about the contamination of meat products with undeclared meats, and new regulations for the declaration of meat adulterants have established the need for a rapid test to detect beef adulteration to 0.1% sensitivity. Objective: To address this need, Microbiologique, Inc. has developed an ELISA that can quantify the presence of beef down to 0.1% (w/w) in cooked pork, horse, chicken, goat, and sheep meat. Results: The beef-authentication ELISA has an analytical sensitivity of 0.00022 and 0.00012% (w/v) for cooked and autoclaved beef, respectively, and an analytical range of quantitation of 0.025 to 2% (w/v), in the absence of other meats. Moreover, the assay is specific for cooked beef and does not cross react with common food matrixes. Conclusions: The assay is rapid, can be completed in 70 min, and can detect a 0.1% level of meat adulteration. The assay is an improvement over a previous U.S. Department of Agriculture's tested assay, which is sensitive to 1% adulteration and takes 2.5-3 h to complete. Highlights: The Microbiologique Cooked Beef ELISA can quantitate cooked beef in the presence of pork, horse, chicken, goat, and sheep meat to 0.1% (w/w) and is not affected by common food matrixes.

INDICATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS IN THE TERRITORY OF AGRICULTURAL PROVINCE

In recent decades, the majority of outbreaks of listeriosis with a high percentage of deaths was caused by the consumption of food products, including meat and meat products. One of the main principles of prevention of listeriosis in humans and animals is a constant quality control of food and feeds. The district of the Ussurisk city specializes mainly in the production of agricultural products. Meat production work on the raw materials of local origin, and the imported meat is also used. There was executed a study concerning the possibility of the contamination of meat products of Listeria monocytogenes on the territory of the agricultural province of the district of the Ussurisk city for the period from 2012 to 2015. A total of 21491 sample products were investigated according to rules “Common sanitary and epidemiological and hygienic requirements for goods subject to sanitary-and-epidemiologic supervision (control)” of the Customs Union (Chapter II, section 1) and the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union № 880 “About security of food “(Appendix 1). The presence of 45 positive cases of L. monocytogenes was revealed, at that the most of them have been found in meat products and poultry meat. Observations of the occurrence rate of L. monocytogenes in meat of the imported production for a number of years show these the pathogenic bacteria to be isolated every year in 40% - 66.6% of cases (of all positive cases of isolation from meat). This meat was imported mainly from countries such as Brazil, Paraguay, New Zealand, Austria, England, Uruguay. A large proportion of meat and meat products, contaminated by L. monocytogenes enters the territory of Primorsky Kray from Latin America. It is important to note that meat and meat products contaminated by these pathogens were also produced in the territory of the district of the city of Ussurisk. In connection with it there is obvious the need as for further continuation of monitoring products on the market, as a survey of agricultural animals of private and public farms in the district.

Low salt exposure results in inactivation of Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites during formulation of dry cured ready-to-eat pork sausage

The production of safe and healthy food products represents one of the main objectives of the food industry. The presence of microorganisms in meat and products containing meat can result in a range of human health problems, as well as economic losses to producers of these products. However, contaminated meat products continue to initiate serious and large-scale outbreaks of disease in consumers. In addition to outbreaks of diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, parasitic organisms, such as Toxoplasma gondii, are responsible for foodborne infections worldwide, and in the case of T. gondii, is considered the 2nd leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S. Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii has historically been linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked meat products, including pork. Specific concerns with respect to pork products are ready-to-eat (RTE) pork meals. These are pork or products containing pork that are prepared by curing or drying, and are not intended to be cooked before being consumed.Previous studies have demonstrated that T. gondii is inactivated during dry cured sausage preparation, apparently in the batter during fermentation. In this study, we have analyzed timing of inactivation of T. gondii in freshly prepared pepperoni batter to confirm our previous findings, to determine how quickly inactivation occurs during fermentation, and to confirm what parameters of the sausage preparation are involved in inactivation of the parasite. Results from the current and previous study indicate that rapid inactivation of T. gondii bradyzoites occurs in low salt batter for dry cured sausage within 4 h of initiation of fermentation.

Quantitative Detection of Chicken and Turkey Contamination in Cooked Meat Products by ELISA.

Background: Concerns about the contamination of meat products with undeclared meats and new regulations for the declaration of meat adulterants have established the need for a rapid test to detect chicken and turkey adulteration. Objective: To address this need, Microbiologique, Inc. has developed an ELISA that can quantify the presence of chicken and turkey down to 0.1% (w/w) in cooked pork, horse, beef, goat, and lamb meats. Results: This chicken/turkey authentication ELISA has an analytical sensitivity of 0.000037% and 0.000048% (w/v) for cooked and autoclaved chicken, respectively, and an analytical range of quantitation of 0.025-2% (w/v), in the absence of other meats. The assay cross-reacts with cooked duck and pheasant but does not demonstrate any cross-reactivity with cooked pork, horse, beef, goat, and lamb meats, egg, or common food matrixes. Conclusions: The assay is rapid, can be completed in 70 min, and can detect a 0.1% level of meat adulteration. Highlights: The Microbiologique Cooked Chicken/Turkey ELISA can quantitate cooked chicken/turkey in the presence of pork, horse, chicken, goat, or sheep meat to 0.1% (w/w) and is not affected by common food matrixes.

Assessing the Ability of Maternal Antibodies to Protect Broiler Chicks Against Colonization by Salmonella Heidelberg.

Vaccine regimes and maternal antibody protection are important in ensuring the health of poultry and critically important in decreasing contamination of poultry products with foodborne pathogens that threaten human health. Here, we assessed the role of passive immunity on the resistance of progeny to early colonization when challenged with Salmonella Heidelberg. Two broiler breeder hen flocks which had received a Salmonella vaccine regime consisting of two live attenuated and two killed vaccines during rearing were selected for study. ELISA titers were used to assess antibody levels in the parent flocks, with one low- and one high- titer flock selected for study. Progeny chicks (1 day of age) were taken from each flock and challenged with Salmonella Heidelberg at low (103) or high doses (105) at 3 days of age. At 14 days postinoculation, all birds were euthanatized and their liver, spleen, and ceca collected for culture. ELISA analysis found Flock A (30-wk flock) demonstrated higher Salmonella antibody titers in the parents as well as yolk titers in the progeny, resulting in greater early protection from colonization by Salmonella Heidelberg while Salmonella colonization rates were higher in the progeny of the older parent Flock (B) that demonstrated lower antibody titers in the parents and the yolks of the progeny. These results suggest that as the breeder hens' protective antibodies wane with age; the maternal antibody protection in their progeny also becomes less effective in preventing cecal colonization by Salmonella early in life, which has the potential for affecting the health of the bird and contamination of meat products destined for the consumer.

Comparison of ELISA and DNA Lateral Flow Assays for Detection of Pork, Horse, Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and Goat Contamination in Meat Products.

Background: Concerns about the contamination of meat products with undeclared meats and new regulations for the declaration of meat adulterants have established the need for a sensitive test to detect meat adulteration. To address this need, Microbiologique, Inc. has developed ELISA assays that can detect the presence of pork, horse, beef, chicken, turkey, and goat meat adulterants to 0.1% (w/w) and a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) lateral flow assay for pork, horse, beef, chicken, turkey, goat, and lamb adulterants to 0.1% (w/w). Objective: We compared the results of the DNA lateral flow assay to the ELISA assays. Methods: ELISA and DNA lateral flow assays were performed on the same spiked meat samples, prepared meats, and pet foods. Results: Both the DNA lateral flow and the ELISA assays were sensitive to 0.1% meat adulterant, and the agreement between the DNA lateral flow and ELISA assays for spiked samples, prepared meat, and pet foods was 100%. Conclusions: Based on the 100% concordance between the two assay formats, the choice between the two is dependent on whether quantitation is desired, which assay is more familiar to the particular laboratory, availability of the required equipment, and time restrictions. Highlights: The ELISA assays are less time consuming, taking about 1.5 h, compared with about 2.5 h for the DNA lateral flow assay. Because the DNA lateral flow test detects seven species in one test, it can be more cost effective when the potential adulterant is not known, while the ELISA may be better for quantification.

Real-Time Bioluminescence Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Survival on Livestock Meats Stored Fresh, Cold, or Frozen

Foodborne bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 can cause severe hemorrhagic colitis in humans following consumption of contaminated meat products. Contamination with pathogenic bacteria is frequently found in the food production environment, and adequate household storage conditions of purchased foods are vital for illness avoidance. Real-time monitoring was used to evaluate bacterial growth in ground horse, beef, and pork meats maintained under various storage conditions. Various levels of E. coli O157:H7 carrying the luxCDABE operon, which allows the cells to emit bioluminescence, were used to inoculate meat samples that were then stored at room temperature for 0.5 day, at 4°C (cold) for 7 or 9 days, or -20°C (frozen) for 9 days. Real-time bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of bacterial growth was used to assess bacterial survival or load. Ground horse meat BLI signals and E. coli levels were dose and time dependent, increasing during room temperature and -20°C storage, but stayed at low levels during 4°C storage. No bacteria survived in the lower level inoculum groups (101 and 103 CFU/g). With an inoculum of 107 CFU/g, pork meats had higher BLI signals than did their beef counterparts, displaying decreased BLI signals during 7 days storage at 4°C. Both meat types had higher BLI signals in the fat area, which was confirmed with isolated fat tissues in the beef meat. Beef lean and fat tissues contrasted with both pork fat and lean tissues, which had significantly higher BLI signals and bacterial levels. BLI appears to be a useful research tool for real-time monitoring of bacterial growth and survival in various stored livestock meats. The dependence of E. coli O157:H7 growth on meat substrate (fat or lean) and storage conditions may be used as part of an effective antibacterial approach for the production of safe ground horse, beef, and pork meats.

Detection of EnterotoxigenicStaphylococcus aureusin Meat Product Sandwiches Using Multiplex PCR

The current work was performed to detect Staphylococcus aureus and their enterotoxin genes as sea, seb, sec andsed among street vended meat products represented by beef burger, kofta and sausage (30 of each) using traditional method of bacteriological isolation and multiplex PCR. The results illustrated that 37 (41.11%) out of 90 meat product samples harbored S.aureuspathogen. Accurately, S.aureus enterotoxin genes were detected in 13 (35.1%) out of 37 isolates. 3 isolate for beef burger samples mostly harboured (2) sea and (1) seb and the other 6 strains was negative for classic enterotoxin genes. Meanwhile, 5 isolates for kofta samples harboured (2) sea, (1) sec, (1)sedand(1) sea&sedgene and the other 7 were negative for classic enterotoxin genes, but 16 isolates of sausage samples harboured (2) sea, (1) seb, (1) mixed seb&sec and (1) mixed sea, sec & sec genes and 11 was negative for classic enterotoxin genes. Furthermore, seais more prevalent in 6 samples (16.2%) followed by sebin 2 samples (5.4%) and sec, sed, sea &sed, seb&secand sea &sec&sed in one sample (2.7%). Finally, Multiplex PCR is efficient in detection of SEs in food. Contamination of meat products with such serous pathogen was discussed.

Street Vended Meat Products as Potential Sources of Staphylococcus aureus

A total of 90 random samples of street vended meat products represented by beef burger, kofta and sausage (30 of each) were collected from several street vendors in Menofyia government. for isolation and identification of S. aureus as well as detection of Staphylococcal enterotoxins. The obtained results indicated that the mean values of Staphylococci count (cfu/g) in the examined samples were 4.27×103 ± 0.69×103 for beef burger, 9.15×103 ± 2.01×103for kofta and 1.62×104 ± 0.37×104 for sausage. The results obtained indicated that 16 (53.33%) samples of beef burger,19 (63.33%) samples of kofta and 21(70%) samples of sausage were unaccepted according to their Staphylococci counts/g according to Egyptian Organization for Standardization EOS (2005). The incidence of S. aureus in the examined samples of sausage was 53.33% followed by kofta samples (40%). While, the lowest incidence of S.aureus was recorded in the examined beef burger samples(30%). The study obtained one enterotoxin A, enterotoxin C and enterotoxin A+D produced by S. aureus in the sausage samples of meat product. While, enterotoxins B and enterotoxin D failed to be detected in sausage samples of meat product. concerningkofta samples, 2 enterotoxin D produced by S. aureus. While, enterotoxins A, B and C were not detected in kofta and beef burger samples. Finally, the probable sources of contamination of meat products with such serous pathogen and some recommendation to control its enterotoxins production were discussed.

Occurrence of Bacillus Cereus and its Virulence genes in Some Meat Products by Multiplex PCR

One Hundered randam samples of different meat products represented by (rice kofta, kobaba, sausage and beef burger) were collected randomly from different supermarkets in Kalyobia governorates to be examined for occurance of B. Cereus & its virulence genes. The incidence of Bacillus Cereus was 60%, 52%, 40% & 36% for rice kofta, kobeba, sausage and beef burger, respectively. Moreover, the results of PCR out of 47 of isolated B. Cereus from the examined samples of meat prouducts were 15(31.91%) for cytk, 7(14.89%) for hblc and cytk & hblc 24(51.6%), respectively. Public Health significance of B. Cereus and its virulence genes and possible sources of meat product contamination as well as some recommendations to improve the quality of meat products were discussed

Distribution and tracking of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in a free-range pig abattoir and processing plant

The presence and genetic diversity of Clostridium difficile and C. perfringens along the slaughtering process of pigs reared in a free-range system was assessed. A total of 270 samples from trucks, lairage, slaughter line and quartering were analyzed, and recovered isolates were toxinotyped and genotyped. C. difficile and C. perfringens were retrieved from 14.4% and 12.6% of samples, respectively. The highest percentage of positive samples for C. difficile was detected in trucks (80%) whereas C. perfringens was more prevalent in cecal and colonic samples obtained in the slaughter line (85% and 45%, respectively). C. difficile isolates (n = 105) were classified into 17 PCR ribotypes (including 010, 078, and 126) and 95 AFLP genotypes. C. perfringens isolates (n = 85) belonged to toxinotypes A (94.1%) and C (5.9%) and were classified into 80 AFLP genotypes. The same genotypes of C. difficile and C. perfringens were isolated from different pigs and occasionally from environmental samples, suggesting a risk of contaminated meat products.

Quantitative Detection of Horse Contamination in Cooked Meat Products by ELISA

Concerns about the contamination of meat products with horse meat and new regulations for the declaration of meat adulterants have highlighted the need for a rapid test to detect horse meat adulteration. To address this need, Microbiologique, Inc., has developed a sandwich ELISA that can quantify the presence of horse meat down to 0.1% (w/w) in cooked pork, beef, chicken, goat, and lamb meats. This horse meat authentication ELISA has an analytical sensitivity of 0.000030 and 0.000046% (w/v) for cooked and autoclaved horse meat, respectively, and an analytical range of quantitation of 0.05-0.8% (w/v) in the absence of other meats. The assay is rapid and can be completed in 1 h and 10 min. Moreover, the assay is specific for cooked horse meat and does not demonstrate any cross-reactivity with xenogeneic cooked meat sources.

Farm and abattoir sources of Carnobacterium species and implications for lamb meat spoilage.

To investigate the transmission route of Carnobacterium from the farm environment to the meat-manufacturing plant and potential risk for meat spoilage. A sheep farm-level survey of Carnobacterium, consisting of 150 environmental and animal (no 100) associated samples, was carried out on two farms. A further 20 lamb carcass samples were taken from an abattoir servicing one of the farms. The majority of Carnobacterium maltaromaticum isolates were associated with fleece followed by hard sheep contact surfaces, rectal-anal mucosal swabs and carcasses. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consenus PCR (ERIC-PCR) profiling revealed four distinct ERIC types. Each ERIC type was found on both farms, three of which were also found on lamb carcasses. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consenus PCR was effective at demonstrating within-species variability in C. maltaromaticum. This study provides initial information showing that farm sources maybe an important transmission route of Carnobacterium for contamination of lamb carcasses and subsequently the meat processing environment. Data on distribution, diversity, sources and transmission routes for meat product contamination is limited for spoilage bacteria. This study highlights the importance of good hygienic slaughter practices and cleaning routines to remove accumulated detritus from the handling of animals that may lead to cross-contamination.