The effects of mandatory HACCP implementation on microbiological indicators of process hygiene in meat processing and retail establishments in Serbia

•Seven year survey of process hygiene in meat establishments with 48,246 samples•130 meat plants and 220 meat retail facilities with certified HACCP surveyed•Aerobic colony count reduction of at least 1.0 log10 CFU/cm2 for food contact surfaces•Aerobic colony count reduction of at least 2.0 log10 CFU/cm2 for meat cooling facilities•Steady decline of positive Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus samples.

A total of 48,246 microbiological test results were collected from 130 meat processing plants and 220 meat retail facilities over a seven year period: 41 months before and 43 months after HACCP implementation. Our results confirm a strong positive effect of mandatory HACCP implementation on process hygiene indicators in meat establishments. Significant reductions were observed in the number of hygiene indicator organisms on all types of surfaces examined and types of meat establishments investigated. The improvement of process hygiene was articulated as aerobic colony count reduction of at least 1.0 log10 CFU/cm2 for food contact surfaces and over 2 log10 CFU/cm2 for cooling facilities (refrigerators, freezers and other meat cooling devices). Meat handlers' hands hygiene was least positively affected. The period after mandatory HACCP implementation was also marked by a steady decline of positive Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus samples. Process hygiene advances for meat processing plants and meat retail facilities were similar.