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Page No. : 39-43

ABSTRACT

A total of 60 carcasses, 30 from each of the two slaughtering units, were evaluated for the bacterial load. The samples were evaluated for the standard plate count (SPC), coliforms count (CC), faecal streptococcal count (FSC), Escherichia coli count (ECC), and sulfite reducing clostridial count (SRC). The mean total viable counts obtained from both the sources had an overall mean count of 7.40± 0.17 log10 cfu/cm². The CC of the beef carcass swab ranged between 102 and104 cfu/cm². The overall mean ECC of the organisms in the samples was 1.83± 0.22 log₁0 cfu/cm². The FSC in the carcass swab samples was at the level of 3 log10 cfu/cm². All the carcass swab samples revealed the presence of sulphite reducing clostridia. The level of SRC count of 60 beef carcasses varied between 102 and 104 cfu/cm². Escherichia coli was isolated from 38 (66.6%) of the samples. The E. coli serotypes isolated included 08, 09, 013, 036, 065, 069, 075, 091, 0150, 0156, 0157, 0172 and 0173. The isolation of E coli from carcasses, which are associated with various diseases in man and animals is of immense public health significance. The study points to an urgent need to improve the hygienic conditions to ensure good manufacturing practices at all levels of production and retailing beef.

Keywords: bacterial quality, buffalo beef, Escherichia coli, processing plant