الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 155 |  |  |
| | | from | 155 | | |
Abstract
The outer surface of total 20 sheep carcasses was examined bacteriologically after slaughtering, skinning and eviscerating them at Mansoura municipal abattoir. Rump, flank, brisket and neck were representative sites from each of 10 sheep carcasses sampled at abattoir, while the abdominal flap was representative site from each of the other 10 sheep carcasses sampled at laboratory. Sampling of all sites was alternatively done by triplicate swabbing ?3 cottongauze swabs for each sample? before and after decontamination trials. A total of five decontamination trials were carried out for reducing the bacterial contamination on mutton surfaces: (1) Hosespraying of whole outer surface of dressed carcass with a municipal tap water for one minute; (2) Hosespraying of whole outer surface of dressed carcass with a tap water for one minute, succeeded by wiping with a sterile cloth until removal most of visible contamination; (3) Spraying the entire surface of flap subsample with hot tap water (82(R@(BC) for 15 seconds; (4) Spraying the entire surface of flap subsample with lactic acid solution (2%) for 15 seconds; and (5) Spraying the entire surface of flap subsample with acetic acid solution (2%) for 15 seconds. Sensory evaluation of samples after treating them by hot water (82(R@?(B, lactic acid (2%) or acetic acid (2%) showed no abnormalities in their colour, odour and taste. Psychrotrophic bacteria isolated form all decontaminated samples were identified into Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter, E.coli, Enterobacter, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella and Serratia as Gramnegative species together with Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Lactobacillus as Grampositive species. The public health and economic importance of isolated organisms as well as recommendations for preventing and minimizing the microbial contamination of mutton carcasses to the lowest and safest levels were also discussed.