title: Efficacy of radio frequency cooking in the reduction of Escherichia coli and shelf stability of ground beef.
abstract: The effectiveness of radio frequency (RF) cooking on the inactivation of Escherichia coli in ground beef and its effect on the shelf stability of ground beef were investigated with a comparison to hot water-bath cooking. E. coli K12 was used as a target bacterium instead of E. coli O157:H7. The ground beef samples inoculated with E. coli K12 (ampr) were heated until the centre temperature of each sample reached 72 degrees C. These samples were then stored at 4 degrees C for up to 30 days. The enumeration of E. coli K12, background E. coli and coliform counts in ground beef samples was carried out for shelf-life study. Although both methods significantly reduced E. coli K12 (ampr), E. coli and coliform counts and extended the shelf-life, RF cooking had a shorter cooking time, and more uniform heating. Thus, RF cooking of meat has a high potential as a substitute for the hot water-bath cooking.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., Canada N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piyasena
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods*; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000254:growth & development*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D011846:Radio Waves; D013997:Time Factors