Isolation of some microbial genera from beef carcasses in Mosul slaughterhouse

The lack of modern slaughtering establishments and unsanitary practices can result in excessive microbial contamination of carcasses, posing health risks and causing economic losses.

This study aimed to identify the numerous genera of bacteria that contaminated beef carcasses and estimate their percentages using a culture method and confirmation using the VITEK 2 methodology.

This study included 96 swabs collected from beef carcasses after final wash at a slaughterhouse in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq, between October and November 2023. All samples were grown on different media for 24 hours at 37°C to assess their phenotypic characteristics of colonies.

All samples contained aerobic bacteria (100%). Our data revealed several genera in beef carcasses. Of the 96 samples, 23 (23.9%) were positive for the beef microbiological profile (coliform bacilli and opportunistic pathogens). Seven genera were isolated and verified using the VITEK 2 Compact System. Escherichia coli had the most isolates (9.4%). Citrobacter freundii and Aeromonas hydrophila were the most common isolates (3 each) (3.1% respectively). Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Proteus mirabilis were isolated from beef carcasses at the rate of two isolates each (2.1%). Pluralibacter gergoviae and Serratia ficaria had one isolate in each of the beef carcass samples (1% and 1%, respectively).

In our investigation, the quantity of bacteria in beef carcasses was generally acceptable, indicating commitment to the slaughterhouse's food safety guidelines.