Effects of hygiene-sanitary measures on microbiological safety of finished product in butter production plant

This work presents the results of investigations of the effects of hygienesanitary measures at critical points in the technological process of butter production on its quality and microbiological safety. With this object in mind, hygiene safety was checked using the swab method at the machine for churning and packing butter (125 g packages and bulk butter), the equipment, hands and clothing (work aprons) of employees directly engaged on the machines. The evaluation of the safety parameters, as well as of the hygiene of the production process itself, was carried out in keeping with the Regulations on general and special conditions of food hygiene at any stage of production, processing and trade (RS Official Gazette, No.72/2010). The results of the hygiene safety of swabs taken from the 125g-butter packing machine, after sanitation, showed an increased number of mesophilic bacteria (up to 90 cfu/cm2), as well as the presence of bacteria from the Family Enterobacteriaceae (4 cfu/cm2). The results of swabs taken from the hands of workers engaged on the line for wrapping the butter following the churning process and on the packing line reveal the presence of aerobic mesophilic sporogenic bacteria (20 cfu/cm2), while the presence of pathogenic microorganisms was not established. Butter samples packed into 125g portions present more risky forms of commercial packaging than bulk butter, which is a consequence of various handling activities and additional outside contamination that takes place during the production process if continuous production in the plant has not been ensured. Moreover, the established presence of certain microorganisms (aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, lipolytic bacteria, as well as fungi) in packed butter during its shelf life, is largely a result of outside contamination and the hygienic condition of the equipment. The obatined results of the investigations indicate the need for special attention to be paid during the butter production process on meeting the hygiene-sanitary conditions during the production process tself, which primarily implies adequate washing and disinfecting of the equipment, the required temperature regimen for the pasteurization of the cream and similar activities, as well as the immaculate hygiene of the workers engaged in the production process.