Salmonella - Monitoring in pork cutting

12 Styrian meat processing plants were monitored for Salmonella in the peri od from April to November 1999 as part of the Styrian Salmonella surveillan ce program in pork production. On the basis of a representative sampling pl an, a total of 1,920 swab samples (in each establishment 60 samples were ta ken both prior to and after the cutting process and 40 swab samples were co llected from cutting surfaces) were subjected to two series of bacteriologi cal examinations for Salmonella. Salmonella was detected in 7 samples taken prior to cutting (n = 720), in one sample taken after cutting (n = 720) an d in one of the swab samples collected from cutting surfaces (n = 480). The extrapolation from the random sample to the population of pork produced an d cut in Styria showed the estimated average proportion of Salmonella conta minated pork to be 0.15% [S = 95%; CI (0.12% less than or equal to p less t han or equal to 0.18%)]. This favourable situation, which was corroborated by serological examinations of finishing pig herds (meat juice ELISA), does not indicate an urgent need for control programmes in Styrian breeding and finishing establishments. Consistent bacteriological Salmonella monitoring in the cutting area should provide the possibility to react to any deterio ration by immediately taking appropriate countermeasures.