CONTAMINATION OF LAMB CARCASSES AT THE ABATTOIR - MICROFLORA OF FRESHLY DRESSED LAMB CARCASSES - INDICATORS AND SPOILAGE ORGANISMS

Numbers of indicator and spoilage organisms were determined on 40 lamb carcasses just after slaughter. The mesophilic and psychrotrophic cou nts were 3.01 and 2.91 log(10) cfu/cm(2), respectively. Enterobacteria ceae and fecal coliforms were at a level of <1 log(10) cfu/cm(2). Pseu domonads were present in low numbers (1.07 log(10) cfu/cm(2)) while Br ochothrix thermosphacta, enterococci and coagulase-negative, novobioci n-resistant staphylococci occurred at higher levels (ca. 2 log(10) cfu /cm(2)). Escherichia coli was isolated from 25 % of carcasses. The tec hnical structure of the abattoirs and slaughtering practices did not s ignificantly affect the counts obtained. The highest counts of both in dicators and spoilage organisms occurred in spring.