Sarcocyst Quantification and Viability: Freezing Treatment as an Alternative to Carcass Condemnation

The inspection of animal products is important for controlling parasitic zoonoses. Some processes that guarantee food safety to consumers such as carcass condemnation cause economic losses. This study aimed to detect Sarcocystis cysts in cattle hearts obtained from slaughterhouses and to evaluate sarcocyst viability after freezing treatment.

When myocardial tissues were minced and subjected to fresh examination, sarcocysts were observed in all analyzed tissues resulting in 21.73 cysts/g of tissue. Sarcocyst viability was verified after tissue freezing at 35 ± 2 °C and - 20 ± 2 °C for 0-12 h. After freezing, the tissues were minced, and sarcocysts were collected and stained with Tripan Blue. In addition, cysts were mechanically disrupted to check bradyzoite viability.

Cysts and bradyzoites were unviable at - 35 °C for ≥ 3 h and - 20 °C for ≥ 8 h.

These results suggest freezing treatment as an alternative to condemnation of cattle carcasses contaminated with Sarcocystis spp. Similar studies using freezing treatment with other animals infected by Sarcocystis must be conducted.