ABSTRACT

In general, the muscle tissues of healthy animals and birds, before slaughter, can be considered sterile. Exceptions to this generalization are the lymph nodes and some organs that may carry limited microbial contamination. In contrast, surfaces of the animal exposed to the environment such as hide, pelt, feathers, fleece, the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract may be heavily contaminated (6-8). These parts of the animal are the major sources of meat and poultry carcass contamination. The extent of contamination transfer from the above sources to the carcass is greatly dependent on the conditions under which animals are reared, slaughtered and processed (4,6-8). Hygienic practices, sanitation procedures, product handling and processing procedures, and conditions of storage and distribution are the most important factors that determine the microbiological quality of the final meat and poultry products. Consequently, variations in facilities, raising methods and practices of slaughtering and processing operations may lead to significant differences in the type and extent of meat contamination (4). Sources of contamination during processing, and the factors affecting the type and extent of contamination are discussed in the following sections.