C21 | Comparison between official and self-monitoring sampling for Salmonella in pig carcasses: implications for health and hygiene control

M. Conter, M. Rega, C. Bacci, S. Bonardi. | U. O. Ispezione degli alimenti di origine animale, Dip. di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, strada del Taglio 10, Parma.

Purpose. Salmonella spp. is a pathogen of European and global significance, and pork is a significant source of it. Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 establishes process hygiene criteria for carcasses, requiring sampling for Salmonella spp., while Regulation (EU) No 217/2014 requires verification by the Competent Authority (CA). Regulation (EU) No 2019/627 includes the detection of Salmonella spp. in carcasses among the specific hazards. Numerous studies have highlighted discrepancies between the results of official sampling and those carried out in self-monitoring. The aim of the study is to compare the data from the CA sampling with those from the Food Business Operator (FBO). Methods. Data relating to an industrial plant in Lombardy specialising in the slaughter of heavy pigs (approximately 700,000 head/year) were analysed. The FBO sampling was conducted from 2012 to 2021; the CA sampling began in November 2014, following the publication of Ministerial Note 31817-P-05/08/2014. In both cases, a non-destructive method was used at four specific sampling sites, in accordance with EC Regulation 2073/2005 and the State-Regions Agreement of 3 March 2016. The analyses were carried out by accredited laboratories in accordance with UNI EN ISO 6579-1:2017. A total of 1,560 samples were analysed by the OSA and 377 by the AC. Results. The discrepancy between the two control systems is confirmed: the prevalence of Salmonella spp. recorded by the OSA (2012–2021) was 3.46%, while that recorded by the AC (2014–2021) was 10.34%. These values are in line with the EFSA report 2024, which reports 4.0% (OSA) and 1.3% (AC) for Italy, and with similar differences in the other 27 Member States. In 2021, in response to some positive results detected by the AC, the OSA adopted, in agreement with the AC, weekly sampling for three series, even though there was no regulatory obligation to do so. In fact, as indicated in Ministerial Note 31817-P-05/08/2014, in the event of one or more positive carcasses, “it can be assumed with a 95% confidence margin that the prevalence of Salmonella in meat is equal to or greater than 6%”, but no action is required on the part of either the CA or the FBO. In such circumstances, the legislation requires the CA to carefully verify the effectiveness of the self-control system to ensure compliance with the limits set. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the results of the CA and the FBO is widespread in the EU. The presence of Salmonella spp. in the intestines and on the skin of pigs, combined with the critical issues of the slaughtering process (scalding, depilation, evisceration), contributes to cross-contamination. Unlike other EU countries, Italy has no sampling plan for fattening farms, nor any incentive system to reduce prevalence in primary production. Furthermore, attributing positivity to a specific farm is methodologically unfeasible due to possible (and in some cases inevitable) cross-contamination. In light of these data, already highlighted in Ministerial Note 20737-P-19/05/2016, it is appropriate to reconsider the effectiveness of the current system of hygiene and health control of slaughter, possibly strengthening interventions in primary production and maintaining self-monitoring sampling as a reliable source of data at national and European level.