Air and water as sources of bacterial contamination of beef carcasses

ABSTRACT

Specimens swabs [75] were obtained from the surface of cattle carcasses after evisceration. Also 50 samples from each of air and water were collected from different location of slaughter halls at Alexandria abattoirs. Total bacterial count, enterobacteriaceas, coliform [MPN], enterococci count [MPN] and staphylococcus aureus were carried out in the examined samples. In addition, the obtained results revealed the isolation of various kinds of bacteria. The role of air and water as a source for bacterial contamination of beef carcasses as well as the public hazard of each isolate were discussed