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. 2022 Mar;64(2):343-352.
doi: 10.5187/jast.2022.e17. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Inhibitory effects of ultraviolet-C light and thermal treatment on four fungi isolated from pig slaughterhouses in Korea

Eun-Seon Lee  1 , Jong-Hui Kim  1 , Sun Moon Kang  1 , Bu-Min Kim  1 , Mi-Hwa Oh  1
Affiliations

Inhibitory effects of ultraviolet-C light and thermal treatment on four fungi isolated from pig slaughterhouses in Korea

Eun-Seon Lee et al. J Anim Sci Technol. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Pig slaughterhouses harbor high humidity because of the necessary cleaning that takes place simultaneously with slaughter, which facilitates the existence of mold. Due to the enclosed space, there are several limitations to the control of mold growth with respect to cleaning, ventilation, and drying. In this study, the prevalence of fungi was investigated in four pig slaughterhouses in Korea. Four fungi (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium commune, Penicillium oxalicum, and Cladosporium cladosporioides) were detected with the highest frequency. These four strains were subjected to various treatments to reduce their growth. The fungi were inoculated onto stainless steel (SS) chips and treated with ultraviolet (UV)-C irradiation and hot water. Individual treatments with UV-C (15, 30, 90, 150, 300, and 600 mJ/cm2), and hot water (60, 65, 70, and 83°C) were performed to sanitize the SS chips. Simultaneous cleaning with 60°C hot water and more than 150 mJ/cm2 of UV-C reduced the fungal incidence by > 6.5 Log from 6.6-7.0 Log CFU/cm2 (initial count). Our results demonstrate that a combined treatment of UV-C and hot water is the most economical and convenient way to prevent microbiological contamination of small tools (such as knives and sharpeners) and steel surfaces in slaughterhouses.

Keywords: Fungi; Hot water; Inhibitory effect; Pig slaughterhouse; Stainless steel; UV-C.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.. Fungal occurrence in pig slaughterhouses.
(A) Prevalence of fungi in the whole slaughterhouse according to fungal genera, and (B) distribution according to the processing step. ND, nipple drinker; L, lairage area; S, scale; SG, stunning gun; RS, rack after stunning, SH, shackle; CB, container for exsanguination; C, cleaning; SC, scalding; DH, dehairing; RD, rack after dehairing; SEC, second cleaning; SAW, saw; ET, evisceration tray; FC, final cleaning; ETA, evisceration table; CV, conveyer belt; H, hook; WC, wall of chilling room.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.. Inactivation of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium commune, Penicillium oxalicum, and Cladosporium cladosporioides on stainless steel (SS) chips after treatment with ultraviolet (UV)-C.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.. Inactivation of (A) Aspergillus niger, (B) Penicillium commune, and (C) Penicillium oxalicum on stainless steel chips after combined treatment with ultraviolet (UV)-C and hot water (60°C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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