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Microbiological stability of pork under the influence of organic feed mixture based on humic acids

The article presents the results of an experimental study on the feeding piglets effect with an organic feed mixture based on humic acids on the microbiological parameters of pork during chilled storage. The aim of the study was to determine the dynamics of changes in meat contamination by total viable count (TVC) and opportunistic microorganisms during 4 days of storage at 0 – -1 °C. The experiment was conducted on 600 piglets of control and experimental groups kept under identical housing and feeding conditions. For 60 days, animals of the experimental group received drinking water supplemented with an organic feed mixture based on humic acids (Greenat) at a dose of 2 L/t of water. After fattening and slaughter, muscle tissue samples were collected from 10 pigs of the experimental group and 10 pigs of the control group for microbiological analysis. Microbiological studies of meat samples were carried out according to current standards. The total viable count (TVC) of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms was determined, while other bacterial species were identified using the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry method (Bruker MALDI). This method allowed the identification of pathogenic bacteria Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and yeasts of the genus Rhodotorula spp. At the beginning of the study, the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (TVC) in muscle tissue was almost the same in both groups: 1.9×10² ± 0.54 CFU/g in the control and 1.7×10² ± 0.48 CFU/g in the experimental group, indicating the uniformity of the initial conditions. During subsequent storage days (3–4 days), a gradual increase in the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms was observed in both groups, indicating activation of microbial growth under storage conditions. Absolute TVC values increased in both groups; however, the rate of microbial growth was significantly higher in the control group (p < 0.05), whereas only a tendency toward increase was noted in the experimental group (p < 0.1). These results support the hypothesis regarding the antimicrobial effect of humic acids, which may influence both the composition of intestinal microflora and the quality of muscle tissue as a substrate for microorganisms after slaughter.

Keywords: humic acids, pork, microbiological safety, storage, feed additive, KMAFAnM, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica.

YAKUBCHAK O. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9390-6578


TYSHKIVSKA N. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9249-0921


TYSHKIVSKY M. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0826-5276


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Scientific Journal of Veterinary Medicine 2'2025