High voltage electrical stimulation: its effect on microbial contaminationof lamb carcases in a commercial abattoir

This study was designed to establish the effect of an abattoir's commercial high voltage electrical stimulator on lamb carcase microbial contamination , including TVC, coliform and Campylobacter colony counts. Over eight visit s, batches of six lamb carcases were sampled using the wet and dry swab tec hnique both before and after passage through a high voltage electrical stim ulator. On each visit three of the carcases were sent through the electrica l stimulator while it was operational (the treatment group) and three carca ses were sent through when the electrical stimulator had its power turned o ff (the control group). The swabs were placed into maximum recovery diluent , transported 'on-ice' and held at 0 degrees C overnight before dilutions a nd plating out the following day. Too few coliform colonies were recovered for a meaningful analysis and no campylobacters were recovered. The total v iable counts of the electrically stimulated and the control carcases were f ound not to be significantly different. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.