Fecha de publicación: 14/01/2025 Fuente: Microorganisms - Revista científica (MDPI) Microorganisms, Vol. 13, Pages 159: The Swab, the Drip, or the Meat? Comparison of Microbiological Sampling Methods in Vacuum-Packed Raw Beef
Microorganisms doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13010159
Authors:
Aracely Martínez-Moreno
America Chávez-Martínez
Janet E. Corry
Christopher R. Helps
Raúl. A. Reyes-Villagrana
Juan. M. Tirado Gallegos
Eduardo Santellano-Estrada
Ana L. Rentería-Monterrubio

Historically, there has been a concern for the detection and enumeration of microorganisms in foods, and numerous methods have been developed to determine their microbiological conditions. The present study aimed to compare the numbers of microbes recovered with three sampling methods: drip, excision, and swabbing in vacuum-packed beef. The sampling methods were evaluated in terms of the viable numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Brochrothrix thermosphacta, Salmonella spp., and yeasts and moulds (Y&M). The numbers of B. thermosphacta, Salmonella spp., Enterobacteriaceae, LAB, and M&Y recovered with the drip method were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those from the other two methods. Regarding excision and swabbing, the recovery of B. thermosphacta and Enterobacteriaceae was higher (p < 0.05) with the excision method than swabbing, while there were no statistical differences (p > 0.05) between both methods for Salmonella spp., LAB, and Y&M. In conclusion, the drip method can recover up to two logarithms more than the other techniques in vacuum-packed meat; hence, it should be considered when designing and implementing sampling systems for the meat industry.