Comprehensive evaluation of abattoirs with no Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plan in Tucumán, Argentina

PÉREZ TERRAZZINO, GABRIELA; COSTA, MAGDALENA; LÓPEZ CAMPO, ALEJANDRO; SAADE, CAROLINA; MORENO MOCHI, MARÍA PAULA; SIGNORINI, MARCELO; ROGE, ARIEL; VAN DER PLOEG, CLAUDIA; LEOTTA, GERARDO; JURE, MARÍA ÁNGELA

REVISTA ARGENTINA DE MICROBIOLOGíA

ASOCIACION ARGENTINA MICROBIOLOGIA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2023

0325-7541

This work focused on the comprehensive study of two provincial transit abattoirs inTucumán, Argentina, with no Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. Visits (n = 20)were conducted between 2016 and 2018 during the operational and post-operational processes.Risk was estimated and the bacteriological analysis of carcass and environmental samples wasperformed. Risk estimation showed the predominance of high risk in both abattoirs. The maindeviations from the HACCP plan were: deficient building conditions, deficient workflow, lackof sectorization of changing rooms and bathrooms, lack of implementation of StandardizedSanitary Operational Procedures, and no food safety training of workers. The counts of indi-cator microorganisms from both abattoirs were not significant. Salmonella spp. was isolatedfrom 7.5% carcass and 7.3% environmental samples. The Salmonella serovars identified wereCerro, Corvallis, Havana and Agona. Shiga toxin (stx) genes were detected in 24.4% carcass and30.9% environmental samples. The isolates were characterized as Escherichia coli O8:H7/stx1,O116:H49/stx2and O136:H40/stx2. Based on these results, it would be possible to implement an improvement plan in Tucumán abattoirs together with the local health authorities. Still, theneed to work jointly with the sanitary authority in search of a unique sanitary standard forArgentina remains unaddressed.