Levels of Indicator Bacteria and Characteristics of Foodborne Pathogens from Carcasses of Cattle Slaughterhouses in Korea

•Bacterial pathogen monitoring was performed from 20 cattle slaughterhouses in Korea.•The highest aerobic bacterial count in cattle carcasses was 2.0–3.0 log10 CFU/cm2.•The E. coli count met the criterion of < 2.0 log10 CFU/cm2 in 97.0% of carcasses.•C. perfringens, Y. enterocolitica, and S. aureus were the most common pathogens.•Prevalence of L. monocytogenes 1/2a, Salmonella Infantis, and STEC O:66 was lowest. The initial microbial contamination of carcasses during slaughtering adversely affects spoilage and shelf life and is of global concern for food safety and meat quality. This study evaluated the hygiene and quality using the prevalence of foodborne pathogens and the level of indicator bacteria on 200 carcasses, collecting 10 from each of 20 cattle slaughterhouses in Korea. The distribution of aerobic bacterial count in carcasses was significantly highest at 2.0–3.0 log10 CFU/cm2 (34.1%), whereas the Escherichia coli count was significantly highest at under 1.0 log10 CFU/cm2 (94.0%) (P