The surface count on equipment and premises and the handling of hygiene in a meat cutting plant for pork - 1. Part

The hygienic processing of fresh meat along the entire meat processing line is a prerequisite for safeguarding consumer health and for securing an extended shelf life of muscle foods. Therefore, the risks of contamination through processing equipment and personnel were studied in a meat cutting plant. The company was operating with a limited special permission of the EU. Its premises corresponded to the conditions usually encountered in companies registered for the national market nowadays. The surface count of the processing equipment (aerobic colony count and Enterobacteriaceae count) was assessed over 39 working days before starting production as well as two hours later. For this purpose the wet-dry double swab technique according to DIN 10113-1 was used. In addition room temperatures were taken and working and personnel hygiene were registered visually. The results of the analysis will be introduced.