CRITICAL-POINTS IN MEAT PRODUCTION LINES REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF LISTERIA-MONOCYTOGENES

In order to elucidate critical points concerning Listeria monocytogene s during bovine and porcine slaughter, cutting and processing, 843 sam ples were obtained from carcasses, primal cuts, products at retail and from environmental surfaces. Only 2-7% of the carcasses and 010% of t he environmental samples in the 'clean' part of the pork slaughterline were found to be positive for L. monocytogenes. The incidence of L. m onocytogenes was increased after chilling and cutting. In the cutting room 11-36% of the primal cuts and 71-100% of the environmental sample s were found positive for L. monocytogenes. Our findings indicate that contamination of pork meat with L. monocytogenes orginates from the p rocessing environment of the chilling or cutting room. The incidence o f L. monocytogenes in the bovine cutting and meat processing line (0-6 0%) was lower than in the porcine cutting and meat processing line (11 -100%).