POSSIBLE PATHWAYS OF CONTAMINATION OF MEAT AND BONE MEAL WITH SALMONELLA

Samples taken at various points along the processing line in 2 rendering plants showed that post-processing contamination occurs almost immediately after termination of the heat process in the percolator and surge bin. Further contamination occurs at each processing stage. In plant A 12.5% of the samples collected from material leaving the surge bin, 36% of the samples of product after it has passed the milling stage and 61% of samples collected from the stored product were found to be contaminated with salmonellas. In plant B the results were 15%, 40% and 69% respectively. Heavy contamination of product left overnight in percolators and surge bins, which are not cleaned routinely, was considered an important source of early post-processing contamination. The ecology was found to be similar at both plants despite the fact that in one plant the uncooked and cooked areas were separated completely, whilst this was not the case in the other plant. None of the air samples collected yielded salmonellas, while nearly all the insect samples collected in the rendering plants yielded salmonellas.