INFLUENCE OF REARING SYSTEMS OF LAYING HENS ON EGGS MICROBIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

Lucia Iuliana Nistor (Cotfas), Claudia Gabriela Duminică, M.G. Usturoi

Abstract
    The quality of foodstuffs, in particular of eggs is a very important element for public health. The aim of the current paper is to compare the microbial load of eggs from two operating systems for laying hens (EU approved battery and free range). Were taken in study 15 eggs from those two systems of rearing which were stored in refrigerating conditions over a period of 21 days. We determined the eggshell TNGMA rapid method Tempo TVC and content by the method of decimal dilutions and inoculation with Plate Count Agar Petri plates; Salmonella also cause the contents of the egg using selective culture medium. Following these determinations TNGMA on the eggshell recorded the highest level of contamination in eggs obtained from free range system (4.8 log CFU / eggshell in fresh and 5.01 log cfu / eggshell refrigerated for 21 days). The situation was available for TNGMA of egg contents. For Salmonella spp., the determination performed, did not reveal the presence of it, which indicates that laying hens are free from Salmonella. Higher microbial load in the eggs from free range system can be explained through contact of birds with less healthy areas (the shelter with permanent litter and its associated paddock).

Key words: bacterial contamination, conventional, free range, egg, public health