The production and microbiological status of skin-on sheep carcasses

There is a demand by certain ethnic consumer groups in the United Kingdom for skin-on, singed carcasses, primarily from older sheep, but their production is illegal under current EU legislation. The aim of this study was to devise a protocol to produce carcasses having the desired ‘smoked’ colour and odour and an acceptable microbiology. A successful result could form the basis of a case to revise the legislation. Three key steps in the selected procedure were carcass singeing using specially designed gas burner equipment, pressure washing to clean the carcass and then evisceration. It was shown that a second heat application, termed ‘toasting’, if applied after evisceration, significantly (P < 0.001) reduced Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts on carcasses before chilling. Microbiological quality was also improved when toasting was the final step, following carcass splitting and inspection. Carcasses produced in this way had significantly (P < 0.001) lower Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts before chilling than conventionally dressed sheep carcasses produced in the same abattoir.