ROLE OF SOME DECONTRAMINATORS IN REDUCING THE BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION ON SLAUGHTERED SHEEP CARCASSES

 
Two hundred and fifty random samples were collected from 125 sheep carcasses from both of Sharkia traditional abattoir cover the whole day of surfaces shoulder region at work. The recorded counts of microorganisms were attributed to existence of proteolytic and lipolytic bacteria of the surfaces of tested carcasses, particularly such species have the ability to multiply rapidly at non refrigerating temperature. The efficacy of some decontaminators as water wash, acetic acid 2%, Saponine 1% followed = by water and combination between 1% saponine and 2% acetic acid were shown to be consistently effective methods for reducing total aerobic counts, total proteolytic counts, total lipolytic counts and Staph. aureus counts. The mean count of these microorganisms are significantly reduced by using acetic acid 2% from 3.5x10⁶ to 9.4x10³ on the external surface and from 2.3x10⁶ to 1.4x10⁴ on the internal surface, and from 2.3x10⁵ to 1.3x10³; 2.4x10⁵ to 1.8x10³ and from 8.9x10⁴ to 5.4x10², 3.8x10⁴ to 1.1x103 and from 1.6x10⁴ to 1.2x10²; 7.0x10³ to 2.1x10² respectively. While using saponine 1% show reduction in total bacterial count equal to that occur by water wash, but using a combination of 1% saponine and 2% acetic acid is non Significant.
In conclusion, washing with water followed by an effective acetic acid 2% treatment provide
the maximum possible reduction in bacterial count on sheep carcasses aiming to improve meat shelf life.