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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #234578

Title: Prevalence Rates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at Different Sampling Sites on Cattle Hides at a Feedlot and Processing Plant

Author
item Kalchayanand, Norasak - Nor
item Harhay, Dayna
item Arthur, Terrance
item Bosilevac, Joseph - Mick
item Guerini, Michael
item Wheeler, Tommy
item Shackelford, Steven
item KOOHMARAIE, MOHAMMAD - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2009
Publication Date: 5/1/2009
Citation: Kalchayanand, N., Brichta-Harhay, D.M., Arthur, T.M., Bosilevac, J.M., Guerini, M.N., Wheeler, T.L., Shackelford, S.D., Koohmaraie, M. 2009. Prevalence Rates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at Different Sampling Sites on Cattle Hides at a Feedlot and Processing Plant. Journal of Food Protection. 72(6):1267-1271.

Interpretive Summary: Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella pose not only a significant health risk, but also a considerable economic threat to the beef industry. It is clear that cattle hide is a major source of these pathogens that sometimes contaminate the carcass. Knowing the distribution of these pathogens on beef cattle hides during production and harvest is essential to properly focus antimicrobial interventions. Additionally, knowing the distribution of these pathogens will aid in the determination of sampling locations that provide optimal detection of the pathogens. To determine the distribution of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, multiple locations on beef cattle hides at a feedlot and a commercial processing plant were sampled. The data showed that the pathogens were most likely to be detected on the belly along the midline.

Technical Abstract: The distributions of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on cattle hides were mapped at a feedlot and a processing plant. Sponge samples were collected from six hide surface sites at the feedlot (left and right shoulders, left and right ribs, back, and belly) and four sites at the processing plant (left and right shoulders, back, and belly). The mean prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was approximately 80% for left and right shoulder and rib samples, 68% for back samples, and 92% for belly samples collected at the feedlot. At the processing plant, the mean prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was evenly distributed (range 76 to 79%) for all four sites. Salmonella prevalence in feedlot samples was too low to allow for accurate analysis. The mean prevalence of Salmonella at processing was 49% for left shoulder samples, 48% for right shoulder samples, 40% for back samples, and 68% for belly samples. The results of this study indicate that the site most likely to be naturally contaminated with both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella was the belly.