ABSTRACT
The tissues and organs of animals slaughtered under normal conditions may be affected by primary or secondary bacterial contamination. Endogenic contamination creates hazards for the consumer in cases where the animals for slaughter are subject to latent infection with pathogens which penetrate other organs and tissues as a result of bacteraemia. The bacteraemic propagation of microorganisms may have various reasons, and premortal stress is apparently a major contributing factor under normal conditions of slaughter. This problem deserves greater attention if hygienic meat is to be produced. Questions where there is a need for research relate to the numbers of animals for slaughter with latent infections, the role of premortal stress in causing endogenic contamination/asymptomatic bacteraemia, and the role of isolated organ changes in animals for slaughter in causing microbes to settle on organs and muscular tissue.