Comparison of microbial and chemical characteristics of ostrich meat in traditional and industrial slaughtering

Ostrich meat has a high nutritional value, and in addition has low levels of cholesterol and fat, and also unsaturated fats and Omega 3 in this meat is higher than beef and sheep. Due to the rapid reduction in pH of ostrich meat after slaughter (compared to red meat) and reduced storage time, the risk of microbial growth in this product is important. In this study, 20 healthy ostriches with age range of 10 to 14 months, that all cultivated on a same farm, were selected and 10 pieces by traditional method and 10 pieces by industrial method were slaughtered. Microbiological characteristics (counting of psychrotrophic, mesophilic aerobic bacteria, staphylococcus areues and coliform, and identification of E. coli and salmonella) and chemical (protein, fat, moisture and ash) measurements were analyzed.Rresults were compared by using independent T-test statistics method between two groups of traditional and industrial ostrich carcasses. According to the results, the amount of microbial count in all microbial parameters in traditional slaughtering group was higher than industrial group (p0.05). Therefore, it is recommended that ostrich slaughtering be carried out in industrial slaughterhouses and with the principles of hygienic packaging so that this product can be provided under better sanitation conditions for supply to consumers.