A comparison of Salmonella occurrence in pork meat and meat products

Swabs taken from slaughtered pigs, raw porcine meat, liver, and ready-to-eat meat products from the retail market were analysed for the presence of Salmonella spp. Of 163 swabs from slaughtered pigs 8 were positive, of 122 samples of raw pork and minced meat none were positive, and of 72 liver samples 5 were positive for the presence of Salmonella spp. Seven of 1,326 meat products from the retail were positive for Salmonella. While the serotype Typhimurium was predominant in slaughtered animals, raw meat and offal, the serotype Enteritidis was the most frequent in ready-to-eat meat products. The results of this study show that ready-to-eat meat products may be contaminated during processing and also at the retail level, particularly during slicing and packaging.