Hot Water Rinses as a Bacteriological Intervention Strategy on Swine Carcasses

Hot water rinses were applied to the forelegs of hog carcasses intentionally contaminated with manure. The water temperature varied from ambient temperature (25oC) to 82oC. The hot water washes were followed by a 1.5% acetic acid rinse, and the carcasses were sampled before the hot water rinse, after the rinse, and after the acid rinse. The hot water rinses reduced the total aerobic population by approximately 2 log10 cycles and the population of Enterobacteriaceae by approximately 2.5 log10 cycles. The acid rinses reduced the total aerobic population by an additional 0.3 log10 cycle (total of 2.3 log10 cycles) and the population of Enterobacteriaceae to below detectable limits (total of 4 log10 cycles)