Abstract
The microbiological condition of steel mesh gloves commonly used in the meat industry was assessed and an adequate sanitation protocol devised in the course of three experiments conducted in the boning room of a beef packaging operation. The first pilot-experiment monitored the average bacterial load of gloves at various times during the working day, by releasing the tissue trapped inside the gloves through ultrasonic cavitation. After 2, 4, and 6 h of boning, steel mesh gloves contained ca. 9.1 and 8.3 log10 CFU/g mesophilic and psychrotrophic organisms, respectively. Enterobacteriaceae colony counts varied from ca. 5.5 to 8.5 log10 CFU/g. In the second experiment ultrasonic cavitation was followed by disinfection in a 2% Halamid® (sodium paratoluene sulfonchloramide) solution for 5 min. Aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic colony counts after 2 h of boning were still 7.4 and 6.7 log10 CFU/g, respectively, while the average Enterobactericeae colony count was 4.9 log10 CFU/g. In the third experiment gloves were subjected to a protocol including: 1) cleaning by ultrasonic cavitation in the presence of a suitable detergent for 5 min, 2) rinsing with tap water, 3) disinfection in a 2% Halamid® solution for 5 min, and 4) rinsing with tap water. This resulted in counts below the limits of detection for aerobic organisms and Enterobacteriaceae . After 2 h of boning the average mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobic colony counts were ca. 5.5 and 4.9 log10 CFU/g, respectively and the Enterobacteriaceae colony count ca. 3.9 log10 CFU/g. This contrasted sharply with the much higher levels observed when no sanitation protocol was followed. Hence the developed protocol reduces the risk of cross-contamination by steel mesh gloves considerably.
Translated title of the contribution | Reiniging door multrasone cavitatie van stalen handschoenen gebruikt in de vleesindustrie |
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Original language | English |
Pages (from-to) | 660-664 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Food Protection |
Volume | 52 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1989 |
Externally published | Yes |