Salmonella spp. in Pigs Slaughtered in Small and Medium-Sized Abattoirs in Central Italy: Preliminary Results on Occurrence and Control Strategies

Abstract

Salmonella in pork is still a relevant safety issue in the EU, and specific regulations are in force to control this hazard in the meat chain, in a from farm to fork perspective. In Italy, the control is mainly based on official sampling at the slaughterhouse level. The prevalence of Salmonella, and isolated serovars, was investigated during a three-year survey in small and medium slaughterhouses in central Italy. A total of 400 pig carcasses samples were collected by official authorities during the observation period. Data were also analyzed according to the year and season of sampling. The overall Salmonella prevalence in the five selected abattoirs was 13%, with no differences due to the slaughterhouses size and seasons of sampling. An increasing trend in Salmonella prevalence was registered over the years. The main serovars detected were Salmonella enterica 4,[5],12:i:- and Derby. The data emphasized that the number of contaminated carcasses is relatively high with respect to the level set by EU legislation, and equally distributed in the area, and therefore, appropriate monitoring and control strategies also need to be developed at the farm level.

Investigation of Salmonella, Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) and Viral Indicators of Fecal Contamination in Four Italian Pig Slaughterhouses, 2021-2022

“…In contrast, larger facilities, with higher automation and a faster processing speed due to a larger number of slaughtered pigs, may benefit from more systematic management practices, ensuring a higher level of hygiene control (Primavilla et al, 2023). Nevertheless, this findings deserves further confirmation since in previous study in Italy no correlation was observed among occurrence of Salmonella and the size of the slaughterhouses (Primavilla et al, 2021).…”

Salmonella in Wild Boar Meat: Prevalence and Risk Assessment in Central Italy (Umbria and Marche Region)

“…Indeed, cross contamination could also occur when other animals, especially pigs, are slaughtered in the same GHE, as they are reported to have a higher prevalence of Salmonella spp. on carcass surfaces than wild boars [58,59]. This should be considered in epidemiological studies performed by sampling carcass swabs or meat cuts.…”

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“…prevalence in EU countries with specific national guarantee plans; for example, for Denmark and Sweden, where Salmonella spp. prevalence has dropped to nearly zero (Primavilla et al., 2021). The results of the default risk profile ( Salmonella spp.…”