Bacteriology of Hot and Cold Boned Pork Preblends

Ground pork and preblends containing 2% NaCl or 2% NaCl plus 200 ppm NaNO₂ were prepared from hot (HB) and cold (CB) boned pork in a commercial slaughtering plant. Total aerobic mesophiles, psychrotrophs, Enterobacteriaceae , salt tolerant, and lactic acid bacteria were enumerated in freshly ground meat and in preblends stored for 1 week at 2°C. Boning method had no effect on mesophillic, psychrotrophic, and salt tolerant counts in freshly ground meat, but Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria were found in higher numbers in CB than HB meat (P < 0.05). Addition of salt plus nitrite led to the inhibition of most bacterial groups, although lactic acid bacteria were found in higher numbers in HB preblends after one week of storage (P < 0.05). The data revealed that HB pork preblends of excellent bacteriological quality and stability can be produced in an industrial context.