Determinación de bacterias ácido lácticas e identificación de las fuentes de contaminación en los productos cárnicos terminados empacados al vacío

Abstract

In the present study the microbiological load of lactic acid bacteria was measured for 4 vacuum-packed meat products: 200 g sandwich ham, 400 g special bologna, 450 g assorted deli meats and 450 g beef sausage for frying, with the aim of establishing an internal referential instruction and identify contamination sources in the packing area at a cold meat company in the city of Cuenca. Sampling process was obtained from NTE INEN-ISO 2859-1:2009, and a total of 82 samples for duplicate collected under normal and ideal packing conditions were analyzed, which were distributed in 3 or 4 testing times (according to shelf life) and were stored under normal and ideal storage conditions. The swab method was used for collecting the surface samples, in accordance with Peruvian health standard MINSA, and a total of 68 samples were analyzed in duplicate under normal and ideal packing conditions. It was determined that sources of contamination were equipment, utensils and handlers, resulting in secondary biological contamination or cross contamination. Furthermore, an internal reference instruction was established, applicable at the stage before release of the product, which provides rejection levels as follows: for 200 g sandwich ham greater than 1,5 x 102 CFU/g, 400 g special bologna 1,1 x 102 CFU/g, 450 g assorted deli meats 5 x 102 CFU/g and 450 g beef sausage 8,2 x 102 CFU/g.