Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces

thesis Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces published CHe yes Janna Tholen author 68430 Alina Kirse author Henrike von Haacke author Lothar Kreienbrock author Lea Strotkötter author Gereon Schulze Althoff author Matthias Upmann author 12666 DEP4028 department DEP4029 department The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a steam-vacuum treatment of the surface of industrially slaughtered pig carcasses after evisceration but before chilling. Both the reduction of the microbial load after contamination with stomach contents, bile, or tubular rail fat and color changes of the carcass surface were investigated. Up to 25 samples per type of contamination were examined within an experimental setting under regular slaughterhouse conditions. The steam-vacuum treatment was applied on the approximately 30 cm long carcass rind between 2 and 8 s. This led to a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.0001) in total bacterial counts of up to 2 log10 levels to values near or below the lower detection limit for all types of contamination considered (stomach contents (−1.2 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001), bile (−1.6 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001) and tubular fat (−2.2 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001). Noncontaminated, nontreated carcasses underwent a color change of ΔE = 2.5 ± 1.2 (ΔE represents the overall color difference, where higher values indicate more noticeable color changes.) during storage of the carcass surface at 2 °C after 24 and 48 h. After steam-vacuum treatment, no statistically significant color differences (24 h storage: 2 s p = 0.7403, 4 s p = 0.8769, 6 s p = 0.1755, 8 s p = 0.0971; 48 h storage: 2 s p = 0.9710, 4 s p = 0.9967, 6 s p = 0.5648, 8 s p = 0.5360) were observed compared to untreated carcasses after storage (ΔE = 3.2 ± 1.3). Stomach content could be completely removed by the steam-vacuum treatment without affecting the color (48 h storage: 2 s p = 0.9704, 4 s p = 1.000, 6 s p = 1.000, 8 s p = 0.9996) compared with the control group. The color changes caused by bile (ΔE = 12.9 ± 4.12; p < 0.0001) and tubular rail fat (ΔE = 8 ± 3; p < 0.0001) could not be reversed completely by vacuum steam treatment. After contamination and decontamination, significant color differences remained in the b* (yellowness) range for bile (p < 0.0001) and in all three color ranges for tubular rail fat (p < 0.0001). Overall, steam-vacuum treatment appears to be a suitable microbiological decontamination method, as the microbial levels after treatment were below the detection limit. IAFP2025 eng Bile contaminationFecal contaminationPig carcass colorPig carcass decontaminationSlaughter hygieneTubular rail fat contamination Journal of Food Protection 0362-028X 1944-909710.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687 892 J. Tholen et al., “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces,” Journal of Food Protection, vol. 89, no. 2, Art. no. 100687, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>. Tholen J, Kirse A, von Haacke H, et al. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection. 2025;89(2). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>

Tholen, Janna ; Kirse, Alina ; von Haacke, Henrike ; Kreienbrock, Lothar ; Strotkötter, Lea ; Althoff, Gereon Schulze ; Upmann, Matthias: Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. In: Journal of Food Protection Bd. 89. Des Moines, Iowa , IAFP (2025), Nr. 2

Tholen, Janna, Alina Kirse, Henrike von Haacke, Lothar Kreienbrock, Lea Strotkötter, Gereon Schulze Althoff und Matthias Upmann. 2025. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection 89, Nr. 2. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>, .

J. Tholen, A. Kirse, H. von Haacke, L. Kreienbrock, L. Strotkötter, G.S. Althoff, M. Upmann, Journal of Food Protection 89 (2025). Tholen, Janna, Alina Kirse, Henrike von Haacke, Lothar Kreienbrock, Lea Strotkötter, Gereon Schulze Althoff, and Matthias Upmann. “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces.” Journal of Food Protection 89, no. 2 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>. Tholen, J., Kirse, A., von Haacke, H., Kreienbrock, L., Strotkötter, L., Althoff, G. S., & Upmann, M. (2025). Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection, 89(2), Article 100687. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a> Tholen J et al. (2025) Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection 89. Tholen, Janna, et al. “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces.” Journal of Food Protection, vol. 89, no. 2, 100687, 2025, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>. J. Tholen, A. Kirse, H. von Haacke, L. Kreienbrock, L. Strotkötter, G.S. Althoff, M. Upmann, Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces, Journal of Food Protection. 89 (2025). Tholen, Janna u. a.: Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces, in: Journal of Food Protection 89 (2025), H. 2. Tholen J, Kirse A, von Haacke H, Kreienbrock L, Strotkötter L, Althoff GS, et al. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection. 2025;89(2). 135062026-03-15T21:28:40Z2026-04-15T14:12:52Z