Survival of Campylobacter spp. on inoculated pork skin or meat.

Abstract

<p>Campylobacter is one of the main causes of human foodborne bacterial zoonoses due to food consumption in developed countries. Nine to 32% of pig carcasses are contaminated by Campylobacter. The purpose of the study was to improve our knowledge of the survival of implanted campylobacters from the two kinds of pork matrix meat (skin, muscle) during meat cold domestic storage. One hundred and twenty pork skin and 120 skinless chine samples (25 cm2/sample) were inoculated with two C. jejuni and four C. coli strains and stored in closed box at 4 oc for 1, 4, 8, 15 and 22 days. Campylobacter were isolated from sample suspensions after mechanical pummeling and numbered by direct plating. We calculated the shoulder time (ST), the D value (the time for one log decrease} and the R, value (the time to reach 10% of the initial population R, = ST +D). We compared them in a stratified approach according to pork matrix and strain. According to matrixes, mean D, TS and R, value varied significantly between pork skin (4.3 days, 1.3 days, 5.6 days, respectively} and spare rib (7 .2 days, 3.5 days, 10.8 days, respectively}. On spare rib, R1 was higher (16 days) with one C. coli strain (CCV55). Statistical effects between TS and R, value on spare rib and strain were noticed. This study shows that the survival of campylobacters on pork meat is similar to the survival of Campylobacter on poultry meat. Consequently, good hygiene practices are needed to manage the risk of pork Campylobacter contamination and further studies focusing on survival factors may complete this risk analysis on the pork food chain.</p>