Condenação de carcaças bovinas por contaminação em abatedouros sob Inspeção Federal em Mato Grosso

Abstract

The production of quality beef guarantees, in addition to safe food, a good financial return, considering that the meat is widely consumed in Brazil and around the world, and the disposal of carcasses generates great economic losses. The present work aimed to carry out, using official data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, a survey of carcass convictions due to contamination in cattle slaughtered in establishments under the Federal Inspection Service (SIF) in the State of Mato Grosso, in the period between July 2022 and June 2023. During this period, 4,954,293 cattle were slaughtered, with 1,051 carcasses condemned for various causes, 23 of which were condemned due to contamination, representing 0.0004% of the total number of cattle slaughtered and 2.18% of the carcasses condemned, much lower from studies carried out in Paraná, Minas Gerais, Rondônia and Pará. Exposure to contamination is present during all phases, particularly in operations with greater handling and whenever special care is not taken, contamination will occur. Therefore, contamination of carcasses is due to failures in self-control programs, due to the contact of utensils, surfaces and handlers' hands with the animals' digestive tract or with already contaminated surfaces or carcasses, resulting in cross-contamination. It also results from failure in sanitary slaughter operational procedures, mainly in the evisceration and skinning stages, due to perforation of the viscera of the digestive tract and leakage of the contents, resulting in microbiological contamination of the meat, being one of the most threatening contaminations to human health. The importance of SIF as a highly relevant preventive action for Public Health was highlighted, through the ablation of contaminated carcass parts, and also, knowing the causes of condemnations, it is possible that future improvements will occur in the entire process. Despite the very low levels of contamination in the period evaluated, considering that contamination is unacceptable, it is suggested that slaughter employees be trained and trained in operational procedures and improvements in self-control programs for non-compliant establishments, in order to avoid contamination and breakage of weight due to retaliation of carcasses, with losses for the livestock sector.