Efficacy of a peroxyacetic acid formulation as an antimicrobial intervention to reduce levels of inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7 on external carcass surfaces of hot-boned beef and veal.
The efficacy of a peroxyacetic acid formulation (POAA) at reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination on external carcass surfaces of hot-boned beef and veal with a commercial spray apparatus was determined. Hot-boned external carcass surfaces were inoculated with either a high dose (10(6) CFU/cm2) in fresh bovine feces or with a low dose (10(3) CFU/cm2) in diluent of laboratory-cultured E. coli O157:H7. Treatments included a water wash, a POAA (180 ppm) wash, or a water plus POAA wash. Samples were extracted from the external carcass surface with a cork borer to determine the numbers of viable E. coli O157:H7 remaining on the carcass surface after treatment. Although a water wash alone resulted in a 1.25 (94.4%) and a 1.31 (95.1%) mean log reduction on veal and beef inoculated with a high dose of E. coli O157:H7, the POAA treatment resulted in a substantially greater mean log reduction of 3.56 and 3.59 (>99.9%). The water wash only resulted in a 33.9% reduction on veal and 62.8% on beef inoculated with a low dose of E. coli O157:H7, whereas POAA treatment greatly improved pathogen reduction to 98.9 and 97.4% on veal and beef, respectively. The combination of a water wash followed by a POAA treatment resulted in a similar E. coli O157:H7 reduction to that achieved by POAA treatment alone. In conclusion, POAA treatment significantly reduced viable E. coli O157:H7 numbers on experimentally contaminated beef and veal carcasses, which justifies its use as a chemical intervention for the removal of this human pathogen.
Penney
Nick
N
Meat Quality and Safety, AgResearch Limited, Ruakura MIRINZ Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Bigwood
Teresa
T
Barea
Hazel
H
Pulford
David
D
LeRoux
Guill
G
Cook
Roger
R
Jarvis
Graeme
G
Brightwell
Gale
G
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D010463:Peracetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014867:Water / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004202:Disinfectants; D014867:Water; D010463:Peracetic Acid