VPH Articles

I. Meat Science [ 2009] 83 (4): 796-799

SANITIZING EFFECT OF FOOD GRADE SALTS ON EXPERIMENTALLY INOCULATED ORGANISMS ON PORK CARCASSES STORED AT REFRIGERATION TEMPERATURE.

C. Latha, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary &
Animal Sciences, Wayanad, Kerala.
E. mail- lathacsudheesh@rediffmail.com
A.T. Sherikar, Vice-Chancellor [retired], Maharashtra Animal and Fishery
Sciences University, Nagpur.
V.S. Waskar, Department of Livestock products technology, Bombay
Veterinary College, Parel.
Z.B. Dubal Division of Animal Health, ICAR research complex for NEH
region, Meghalaya.
S. N. Ahmed Assistant Director, R & D project, MFPI, New Delhi

Abstract
Pork forequarters procured from freshly slaughtered animals were decontaminated with hot water and inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris. Theforequarters were individually spray washed with 5% potassium sorbate and a combination of 5% sodium chloride and 2.5% each of sodium acetate, sodium citrate, sodium lactate and potassium sorbate solutions.The total viable count (TVC) of the treated meat samples was reduced by 0.96 and 1.31 log units by spraying with salt and salt combination respectively with marginal changes in color and odor scores. Inoculated organisms were found to be highly sensitive to salt combination treatment as compared to potassium sorbate alone. Shelf-life of salt and salt combination treated samples was increased to 8 and 11 days as against 4 days in untreated samples. Carcass washing with salt and salt combination was found to be suitable for extension of shelf-life and improvement in the sensory and microbiological quality of meat.

II. Journal of Veterinary Public Health : 7(1): 63-66 ,2009

ASSESSMENT OF BACTERIAL QUALITY OF BEEF CARCASSES COLLECTED FROM A MEAT PROCESSING PLANT

C. Sethulekshmi Assistant Professor, Dept. Veterinary Public Health
E. Nanu, Dean (Rtd), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy
B. Sunil, Associate Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Mannuthy

ABSTRACT
In the present investigation 40 beef carcasses were randomly selected during April to June 2002 from a meat processing plant located at Kochi in Kerala which procures carcasses from two slaughtering units viz., A and B located in Tamil Nadu. From each carcass, surface area of 500 cm2 was swabbed which consisted of 100 cm2 each from neck, brisket, loin, flank and outer round. The samples from each carcass were examined for the bacterial quality by estimating the total viable count (TVC), coliform count (CC), Escherichia coli count (ECC) and faecal streptococcal count (FSC). All samples were subjected to the isolation and identification of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The samples had an overall mean TVC, CC, ECC and FSC of 7.40±0.17, 3.41±0.13, 1.83±0.22 and 3.27±0.10 log 10 cfu/ cm2 , respectively. E.Coli was isolated from 10 carcasses belonging to source A and 5 carcasses from source B. The serotype O157 was isolated from two of the carcass samples belonging to source A. Four isolates from this source belonged to serotype O36. The serotype O36, O156, O157 and O172 were isolated only from the samples obtained from the source A. The serotype O8 was isolated from both the sources. However, the serotypes O13, O65, O69 and O75 were isolated only from samples of source B. S. aureus was isolated from two (5%) carcasses belonging to source A and one (2.5%) of the carcasses belonging to the source B. The study emphasizes on the need for hygienic requirements to be taken at all levels of production.

III. American Journal of Food Technology, 2(3):145-152, 2007.

Quality Assurance and Public Health Safety of Raw Milk at the Production Point

E. Nanu, Dean (Rtd), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy

C. Latha, Associate Professor & Head, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health,
COVAS, Mannuthy
B. Sunil, Associate Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Mannuthy
Prejit, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Pookot
Magna Thomas, Ph.D., Dept. of Dairy Science, COVAS, Mannuthy
Vrinda Menon, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Mannuthy

IV. Journal of Veterinary Public Health : 3(1): 45-48 ,2005

EFFECT OF ORGANIC ACIDS AS A SANITIZER ON THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF BUFFALO BEEF CARCASSES

E. Nanu, Dean (Rtd), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy
C. Latha, Associate Professor & Head, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health,
COVAS, Mannuthy
B. Sunil, Associate Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Mannuthy
Vrinda Menon, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Public Health, COVAS,
Mannuthy

Abstract
The antimicrobial effect of two organic acids viz. lactic (1 to 2 %) and acetic (1 to 2 %) on chilled buffalo beef carcasses was investigated. Microbiological parameters studied in the experiment were standard plate count, coliform count, faecal streptococcal count, E. coli count and sulfite reducing clostridial count. The use of lactic acid at 2% level resulted in highly significant reduction (P< 0.01) in all the counts, except sulfite reducing clostridial count. Similarly acetic acid at 2% level resulted in reduction of all microbial counts (except the faecal streptococcal count), but lactic acid had greater potential in reducing the bacterial load at lower concentrations. Even at 2% level, both acids did not produce any appreciable change on physical characteristics of meat and hence, can be recommended as bactericidal agents for treatment of buffalo beef carcass.
 

V. Journal of Food Science and Technology. [2003] 40 (5): 498-501

HYGIENIC QUALITY OF RETAIL MARKET BEEF IN AND AROUND THRISSUR
Deepa Jolly, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Public Health,
College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala.
E. Nanu, Dean (Rtd), College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy

Abstract:
The hygienic quality of 75 retail beef samples was evaluated by estimating the total viable count(TVC), coliform count(CC), Escherichia coli count(ECC) and enterococcal count(ETC). Considerable variations in the level of bacterial contamination of the samples were observed. The mean ± S.E of TVC, CC, ECC and ETC of the samples were 7.39±0.06, 4.62±0.06, 3.52±0.09 and 4.11±0.07 log 10 cfu/g, respectively. Only 25.33% of samples met the TVC standard prescribed by the ICMSF (< 107 cfu/g). E. coli was detected in 98.67% of samples, while none of the samples revealed the presence of Staph. aureus. The CC and ETC of the samples from different areas differed significantly (p<0.01). A positive correlation was observed between ETC and TVC. Similarly, CC correlated positively with ECC and ETC.