The effect of the Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) alone and the HAS combined with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HAS + HACCP) on the bacteriological quality of beef in abattoirs were assessed. Sponge swab samples were collected from chilled beef carcasses for indicator organisms: Aerobic Plate Count (APC) and Enterobacteriaceae, and spoilage organisms, Pseudomonas spp. and lactic a...

The behaviour of free ranging wild boar (Sus scrofa) towards carcasses of their conspecifics potentially infected with African swine fever (ASF) may significantly influence the course of an ASF epidemic. This study aims to better understand the behaviour of wild boar towards their dead fellows. Thirty-two wild boar carcasses on nine study sites in northeast Germany were monitored under field co...

The effectiveness of current antimicrobial interventions used in reducing the prevalence or load of Escherichia coli O157 and indicator organisms on cattle hides and carcasses at two commercial beef processing plants was evaluated. Sponge sampling of beef cattle was performed at five locations from the initial entry of the animals to the slaughter floor to the exit of carcasses from the "hotbox...

Foodborne Campylobacter-associated gastroenteritis remains a public health concern, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that improperly handled poultry is the most important source of this human disease. In response to these concerns, 10 of the largest U.S. poultry integrators cooperatively determined the incidence and counts of Campylobacter on processed broiler carcass...

Four experiments were conducted, using carcasses from cattle identified for anticipated variability in tenderness (Exp. 1, 2, and 3) and carcasses selected for variability in physiological maturity and marbling score (Exp. 4), to evaluate the ability of the Tendertec Mark III Beef Grading Probe (Tendertec) to predict tenderness of steaks from beef carcasses. In Exp. 1, 2, and 3, longissimus ste...

Two commercial feedlot experiments were conducted to determine the effects of feeding melengestrol acetate (MGA) or MGA plus ractopamine (MGA+OPT) on the performance and carcass characteristics of finishing heifers. In Nebraska (Exp. 1), 1,807 heifers (337.3 ± 20.0 kg) and in Texas (Exp. 2), 1,964 heifers (331.5 ± 6.1 kg) were fed 0.4 mg of MGA daily. For heifers fed MGA+OPT, 200 mg of ractopam...

This study was conducted to determine the effect of soaked and dried false yam seed meal (SFYSM) on the carcass and sensory characteristics of broiler chicken. A total of 48 chickens (12 birds in each treatment) were randomly selected from 120 birds fed diets containing 0% (T1, control), 5% (T2), 7.5% (T3) and 10% (T4) SFYSM. The birds were weighed and slaughtered after a 24 hours feed withdraw...

Effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers differing in biological type were investigated using British, Continental crossbred, and Brahman crossbred calf-fed steers (n = 420). Steers of each type were weighed at reimplantation [British, mean BW = 375 kg (SD = 38 kg); Continental crossbred, mean BW = 379 kg (SD ...

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of chilling method (air or immersion) on concentration and prevalence of Escherichia coli, coliforms, Campylobacter, and Salmonella recovered from broiler chicken carcasses. For each of four replications, 60 broilers were inoculated orally and intracloacally with 1 ml of a suspension containing Campylobacter at approximately 10(8) cells per ml. Af...