A research study was designed to find out the level of microbes contamination on fresh carcasses after transportation and display at butcher shops. As the poor hygiene and sanitation prevailing in the abattoirs as well as the butcher shops encourage microbial contaminations and growth. The higher microbial load in the butcher shops further enhances the chances of early meat spoilage (Sudhakar et al. 2007) Contamination of carcasses occurs during different stages of slaughtering processes. These hygienic levels are determined quantitatively by the number and kind of microbes on the surfaces of carcasses. A total of 200 swabs were used in this work. They were taken from the side surfaces of 100 cow and buffalo carcasses (50 cows and 50 buffaloes) at butchers shops. 100 swabs were taken from surrounding environment 25 swabs of each of (wooden bar contact with meat, wall of butcher shops, knives which used in cutting meat, hands of butchers). By using Standard plate count agar medium (Oxoid), Violet red bile glucose agar medium (Oxoid), Mannitol salt agar medium (Oxoid), MacConkey's broth (Difco) ,Kanamycin aesculinazide agar medium (Difco) and Sabouraud's dextrose agar medium (Difco). The present study indicated that the mean ±SEM counts of total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Coliform, Enterococci, Staphylococci, mould and yeast of examined cow meat were 2.31×106 ± 3.76×105cfu/cm2, 3.30×104 ± 6.45×103 cfu/cm2, 6.00×103 ± 8.34×102cfu/cm2, 2.94×104 ± 1.39×104cfu/cm2, 1.68×104 ± 3.92×103cfu/cm2, 1.22×104 ± 2.07×103cfu/cm2, 2.85×103 ± 3.99×102 cfu/cm2, respectively. and the most contaminated parts with mould and yeast were wooden bar and wall, for total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae were butcher hand, Knives and for Staphylococcal were butcher hand, wall and knives.
Key words: Hygiene, Butchershop
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