Development and Evaluation of an On-Line Hide Decontamination Procedure for Use in a Commercial Beef Processing Plant
- 1 February 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Journal of Food Protection
- Vol. 68 (2), 265-272
- https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x-68.2.265
Abstract
The hides of cattle are the source of Escherichia coli O157:H7 that contaminates beef carcasses during commercial beef processing. Therefore, effective interventions that reduce hide contamination should reduce subsequent carcass contamination. The first objective of this study was to identify the most effective reagents for decontamination of beef hides. Cattle hides draped over barrels were used for in vitro experiments to compare the efficacy of washes using 1.6% sodium hydroxide, 4% trisodium phosphate, 4% chlorofoam, or 4% phosphoric acid, each followed by a rinse step using either water or acidified (pH 7.0) chlorine at 200 or 500 ppm. All treatments using a water rinse reduced hide coliform counts by 1.5 to 2.5 log CFU/100 cm2. Compared with water rinses, 200 and 500 ppm acidified chlorine rinses increased efficacy by approximately 1.0 and 2.0 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively. Vacuuming of the treated areas to remove excess liquid improved hide cleanliness by an average of an additional 1.0 log CFU/100 cm2. The second objective was to evaluate the use of an on-line hide-wash cabinet that used a sodium hydroxide wash and a chlorinated (1 ppm) water rinse. Hides sampled before entering and after exiting the cabinet had aerobic plate counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts that were reduced by 2.1 and 3.4 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively, and the prevalence of E. coli O157 on hides was reduced from 44 to 17% when the cabinet was in use. Preevisceration carcass aerobic plate counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts were both reduced by 0.8 log CFU/100 cm2, and the prevalence of E. coli O157 on preevisceration carcasses was reduced from 17 to 2% when the cabinet was in use. These results support decontamination of hides as an effective means to reduce pathogen contamination of cattle carcasses during processing.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 and Levels of Aerobic Bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae Are Reduced When Hides Are Washed and Treated with Cetylpyridinium Chloride at a Commercial Beef Processing PlantJournal of Food Protection, 2004
- Escherichia coli O157 Prevalence and Enumeration of Aerobic Bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli O157 at Various Steps in Commercial Beef Processing PlantsJournal of Food Protection, 2004
- Decontamination of Cattle Hides Prior to Slaughter Using Washes with and without Antimicrobial AgentsJournal of Food Protection, 2004
- Protocol for Evaluating the Efficacy of Cetylpyridinium Chloride as a Beef Hide InterventionJournal of Food Protection, 2004
- Seasonal Prevalence of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli, Including O157:H7 and Non-O157 Serotypes, and Salmonella in Commercial Beef Processing PlantsJournal of Food Protection, 2003
- Effect of Chemical Dehairing on the Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and the Levels of Aerobic Bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae on Carcasses in a Commercial Beef Processing PlantJournal of Food Protection, 2003
- Development of Methods for the Recovery of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella from Beef Carcass Sponge Samples and Bovine Fecal and Hide SamplesJournal of Food Protection, 2002
- The relationship between hide cleanliness and bacterial numbers on beef carcasses at a commercial abattoirLetters in Applied Microbiology, 2000
- Correlation of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 prevalence in feces, hides, and carcasses of beef cattle during processingProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2000
- Antimicrobial Effects of Trisodium Phosphate Against Bacteria Attached to Beef TissueJournal of Food Protection, 1994