[Association between Processing Conditions and Microbial Detection in Game Meat]

This study compared microbial detection among game meat samples processed under different conditions. Game animals captured in Oita and Osaka Prefectures between November 2019 and March 2023 were classified into three groups according to processing conditions: on-site processing (n=8), field-based processing (n=30), and licensed facility processing group (n=223). Swab samples were collected from the abdominal cavity and thigh muscle, and aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and staphylococci were examined using commercially available stamp agar plates. Detection rates were compared using Fisher's exact test.Bacteria were detected in all individuals processed under outdoor conditions (on-site and field-base groups), whereas no bacteria were detected in the licensed facility processing group (0/223)(p<0.001). No significant differences were observed between the two outdoor processing groups.These findings indicate that the on-site and field-based processing groups showed higher detection rates of indicator bacteria than the licensed facility processing group. However, this was an observational study, and the findings do not directly demonstrate a causal effect of processing conditions. The results may also have been affected by regional differences, capture methods, seasonal differences, limited sample size in the on-site group, and pre-selection before facility entry.