Abstract

To ensure that pork meat is safe for consumption, companies must comply with the legislation, implementing a self-control system based on the HACCP and carrying out proper training of workers in terms of good hygiene practices and food handling.

The present study focuses on evaluating the hygiene and handling practices of the operators of the Industrias Cárnicas La Cope pig slaughterhouse and assessing the relationship between these practices and the final contamination levels of the carcasses. For that, a documentary control is carried out. where expurgations due to bad practices during slaughter are recorded and, in addition, samples of carcasses, utensils, uniforms and workers hands are analyzed to check the levels of contamination by aerobic mesophiles and Enterobacteriaceae.

The main results of the study determine that the maximum levels of final contamination of the carcasses are related with the highest number of expurgations, the incorporation of new workers with lack of practice at evisceration points and the highest values ??of hand contamination.