Ropy slime-producing lactic acid bacteria contamination at meat processing plants

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 27 - 35
• Main Authors: Mäkelä, Pia M., Korkeala, Hannu J., Laine, Jorma J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.1992; Elsevier
• Subjects: Air Microbiology; Animals; BACTERIAS ACIDOLACTICAS; BACTERIE LACTIQUE; Biological and medical sciences; CARNE; Cattle; CONTAMINACION; CONTAMINATION; FINLAND; FINLANDE; FINLANDIA; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Food-Processing Industry - standards; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; LACTIC ACID BACTERIA; Lactobacillaceae - growth & development; Lactobacillaceae - isolation & purification; MEAT; Meat - microbiology; Meat and meat product industries; MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS; PLANTAS DE PROCESADO DE CARNE; Ropiness; Swine; USINE DE VIANDE; VIANDE; Europe; Finland; Lactic acid bacteria; Contamination; Ropiness; Microbiological testing; Alteration; Meat product; Raw materials; Biological contamination; Room; Processing equipment
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/0168-1605(92)90016-V

At three Finnish meat processing plants the processing rooms, meat trimmings and carcasses were examined for the presence of ropy slime-producing lactic acid bacteria. Bacterial isolates similar to ropy slime-producing lactobacilli strains able to produce ropy slime on meat products, were recovered from the processing rooms and meat trimmings, indicating that these rooms and raw materials are a source of contamination for ropy bacteria. The ability to produce ropy slime would appear to be a common characteristic of lactobacilli, since altogether 10 different ropy lactobacilli groups were isolated in this study.