Investigating the Dynamics of Salmonella Contamination During Commercial Pork Harvest Using Qualitative and Quantitative Detection Methods
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: • Salmonella concentrations were low throughout harvest. • Salmonella prevalence was highest on incoming pigs (86 to 100%) • External decontamination at the beginning of harvest was key to reduce Salmonella. • Salmonella contamination varied between processing facilities. • Some Salmonella survive harvest interventions and persists into chilling. Animals can be reservoirs for pathogens such as Salmonella , creating the potential for cross contamination during harvest. Antimicrobials are used to limit this risk; but validation of interventions in commercial settings can be challenging. The objective of this study was to develop a bio-map to evaluate the presence and concentration of Salmonella during harvest in commercial market hog facilities. Carcass swabs were collected from three commercial market hog facilities, five times a day for five-days, at nine locations throughout harvest from exsanguination to chilling (N = 675). At each sampling interval a single carcass was tracked through harvest by swabbing the ham, shoulder, and jowl. Samples were analyzed for quantitative and qualitative Salmonella using Gene-Up Quant (log 10 CFU/swab; limit of quantification (LOQ) = 1 log 10 CFU/swab) and Gene-Up SLM2 (present/absent; limit of detection (LOD) = 1 CFU/swab), respectively. Prevalence data was analyzed in R Studio using linear mixed effect models, with carcass as a repeated measure, and ANOVA with means separated by Tukey’s HSD (p ≤ 0.05). Due to the limited number of quantitative results above the LOQ (n = 7; 1.15 - 1.56 log 10 CFU/swab) statistical analyses were not performed. Salmonella prevalence was impacted by facility (p = 0.006), location (p < 0.001), and the interaction between facility and location (p = 0.004). Across all facilities Salmonella prevalence was highest on incoming pigs and decreased most significantly after external decontamination. These results indicate that while concentrations may be low, Salmonella contamination is prevalent throughout the pork harvest process, highlighting the need for effective detection systems to develop and evaluate process control strategies.
Source: Journal of Food Protection
Authors: J.A. Brown, S.C. Ricke
Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,300
OpenAlex ID: W4415973013