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Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - April 2003
Application of ATP-Bioluminescence Technique for
Assessing Cleanliness of Milking Equipment, Bulk Tank and Milk Transport Tankers
Potential for Spread of Some Bacterial and Protozoan
Pathogens via Abattoir Wastes Applied on Agricultural Land
Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Low Income Adults
in Pennsylvania
Application of ATP-Bioluminescence
Technique for Assessing Cleanliness of Milking Equipment, Bulk Tank and Milk
Transport Tankers
R. Páez,1*M. Taverna,1 V. Charlón,1A.
Cuatrin,1F. Etcheverry,andL. H. Da Costa2
1-National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Experimental Station
of Rafaela, CC 22, (2300), Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
2-BioControl Latin America, Rua Jose Campos Novaes 155, Campinas, São Pãulo,
Brazil
SUMMARY
A commercial ATP-bioluminescence system was used to evaluate cleanliness
of milking machines, a bulk tank, and milk transport tankers on an experimental
dairy farm. The ATP levels of the equipment’s different parts were determined
after routine cleaning. Contamination of rinse water was also assessed by ATP-bioluminescense
and by a bacteriological method. Cleanliness of the different points was indicated
by “zones of cleanliness”, where a zone reading of < 2.5 and > 2.5 represented
“clean” and “dirty” (caution + dirty) surfaces, respectively. All of the
points assessed had different degrees of washing difficulty, but the outlet
of the plate cooler, the outlet pipe of the bulk tank, and the internal
surface of the manway lid of the milk transport tanks were most critical. Bioluminescence
results were not reliable for rinse water, so that surface swab evaluations
were also needed for a complete hygienic assessment.
Potential for Spread of Some Bacterial
and Protozoan Pathogens via Abattoir Wastes Applied on Agricultural Land
R. Pepperell,1J. Massanet-Nicolau,2.
M. Allen,1andS. Buncic1*
1-University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Science, Division of Farm Animal
Science, Bristol, UK, BS40 5DU
2-Thames Water Utilities Ltd., Spencer House Laboratories, Manor Farm Road,
Reading, Berks, UK, RG2 0JN
SUMMARY
Twenty-eight commercial abattoirs were surveyed for practices related to,
and quantitative levels of pathogens in, wastes to be applied on agricultural
land. The abattoir wastes applied on agricultural land comprise two main groups,
effluent-based wastes and animal-based wastes. The effluent-based wastes
include three main types: separated solids, sludge and water. Mixing sludge
and blood is a regular practice at poultry-only abattoirs. Animal-based
wastes include two main sub-groups: digestive tract content-based and blood-based.
All red meat abattoirs surveyed apply some of these wastes to land, and 37 such
wastes were counted. In all wastes tested (lairage, lairage/stomach content,
stomach content, blood and effluent), the average incidence of the most commonly
isolated viable bacterial pathogen, Campylobacter,
was 5.7%. The pathogen was found in effluent and blood from poultry abattoirs
(12.5%, each) and in lairage and blood from red meat abattoirs (8.3%, each).
Listeria monocytogenes was found in only 1.1% of all waste samples
(4.2% in lairage waste), and not in any sample from poultry abattoirs. Salmonella
and E. coli O157 were not isolated from any of the abattoir waste samples.
A number of possible explanations exist for these relatively low levels of the
bacterial pathogens in abattoir wastes, including pathogens dying off in wastes,
low shedding rates by the animals, “dilution” of contaminated wastes with non-contaminated
wastes (e.g., blood) and/or water, non-detection of pathogens present in small
numbers by quantitative (non-enrichment) methods, and effects on isolation of
the stressed status of pathogen cells. The overall incidence of the protozoan
pathogens Giardia and Cryptosporidium
(viability not assessed) in red meat abattoir wastes was around 52.5% and 40%,
respectively. The waste type most frequently contaminated with protozoan pathogens
was lairage waste, followed by effluent. In lairage wastes from single-species
abattoirs, the incidence of Giardia
and Cryptosporidium was higher at
sheep and pig abattoirs than at cattle abattoirs. Also, the incidence
of both protozoan pathogens was higher in lairage wastes at three three-species
abattoirs, as the throughput was higher. On the other hand, the sampling
season did not show any significant effect on either overall incidences of Giardia
or Cryptosporidium or their average total counts/g in abattoir wastes.
Because of the highly variable nature of abattoir wastes and the limited numbers
of samples tested, a direct extrapolation of these microbiological results to
all abattoirs is not appropriate.
Food Safety Knowledge and Practices
of Low Income Adults in Pennsylvania
Tionni Wenrich,1* Katherine Cason,1Nan
Lv,1andCathy Kassab,2
1-The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Food Science, 111 Borland
Laboratory,
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
2-State College, Pennsylvania 16801
SUMMARY
The purpose of this study was to assess the food safety knowledge and behavior
of low income adult audiences. One hundred thirty-nine usable surveys were received
from participants in the Pennsylvania Expanded Food and Nutrition Education
Program (EFNEP) and Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP). The
58 survey questions included items related to three scales measuring (i) knowledge
of food safety, (ii) consumption of high risk foods, and (iii) food safety practices.
Results indicate that certain risky food practices and beliefs are fairly common
among this population. Temperature abuse was a frequent problem.
The majority of respondents (65%) incorrectly thought food should be allowed
to cool before being placed in the refrigerator and 64% did not acknowledge
that keeping the refrigerator above 40°F will make food poisoning more likely.
Respondents tended to indicate that they infrequently ate high-risk foods; however,
the most frequently consumed high-risk foods were those made at home from raw/undercooked
eggs. Persons with higher income levels and males consumed certain risky
foods significantly more often than other respondents did. On average, respondents
indicated that they “usually” engaged in food safety practices that prevent
cross-contamination. Of these practices, respondents were least likely to wash
cutting boards with disinfectant or in the dishwasher between using them for
different foods. Older respondents were most likely to engage in safe food procedures.
Information obtained from this study may provide direction to EFNEP, FSNEP,
and other nutrition education programs for more effective educational programming
in food safety.
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