The same differences were observed

The same differences were observed for S. aureus in the total counts assessment (Table 3), although no differenceswere found for the counts of Enterobacteriaceae and E. coliwhen thenumber of half carcasseswith
positive results was analyzed (Table 4). The median counts of S. aureus for both groups (wrapped and unwrapped) were lower than the Brazilian requirement of 3.70 log CFU/cm2 for coagulase-positive staphylococci
in raw, chilled or frozenmeat products (Brazil, 2001). However, because the use of polyethylene film promotes higher S. aureus counts, inadequatemanagement of raw meat or improper handling of the polyethylene film in establishments with poor hygiene could result in high S. aureus counts and the formation of thermostable enterotoxins,
which are a leading cause of food poisoning in humans (Argudín, Mendoza, & Rodicio, 2010; Huber et al., 2011).