Total Culturable Microbial Diversity of Food Contact Surfaces in Poultry and Fish Processing Industries After the Pre-Operational Cleaning Process

This study assessed the viable and culturable microbial diversity that remained on equip- ment surfaces after hygiene procedures in Brazilian poultry and fish slaughterhouses. Food-contact surface samples were collected using sterile swabs in poultry (n = 50) and fish (Oreochromis niloticus, n = 50) slaughterhouses. The swab samples were used to prepare culture plates to recover viable and culturable cells. The grown plates were washed, and the total DNA of the cell suspension was extracted...