Detection of total aerobic bacteria, E. coli and salmonella in fresh pork samples at some slaughterhouses in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the bacteriological contamination in indigenous pork at slaughterhouses at Ho Chi Minh City. A total of 225 pork samples were collected from 3 large-sized slaughterhouses, 3 medium-sized slaughterhouses and 6 smallsized slaughterhouses for detection of the total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The detection of total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella were based on the protocols of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The overall mean total aerobic bacteria of large, medium and small abattoirs were 5.8×103, 2.5×104, and 1.1×104 CFU/ml , respectively with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). The mean of E. coli in large, medium and small-sized slaughterhouses were 7.6×10, 1.1×102 CFU/ml , 4.9×10 without statistically significant difference (p >0.05). Moreover, the level of Salmonella contamination at medium-sized slaughterhouses was the highest compare to that at the large and small slaughterhouses. The large-sized slaughterhouses had 80% tested samples that met 3 microbiological standards. Keywords: total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella, pork, bacterial contamination, slaughterhouse.