Valutazione dell'igiene degli animali al macello e procedure di decontaminazione delle carni per minimizzare il rischio microbiologico

Evaluation of cleanliness in animals before slaughtering and decontamination procedures to reduce microbiological risks associated During the life of the animals, the hide becomes contaminated with large numbers of micro-organisms, derived from a wide range of source, such as faeces, soil, water and vegetation, including significant pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter spp and Salmonella spp. The hides and viscera of cattle at the slaughtering are potential source of contamination of carcass with pathogenic bacteria. First Codex Alimentarius, in international field, then EC Regulation 853/2004 ensure that animals that have such hide, skin or fleece conditions that there is an unacceptable risk of contamination of meat are not slaughtered for human consumption unless they era cleaned beforehand. In order to comply with such provisions, the operators must ensure that proper own check procedures have been fixed; the evaluation of such procedures is a priority for the official vet who must define standards of cleanliness. Under normal processing condition, contamination from the viscera is prevented by rodding, bunging and the intact remove of the viscera components. However, it is much more difficult to restrict contamination form others source, the hide. A number of interventions that reduce hide.