title: Efficacy of trimming chilled beef during fabrication to control Escherichia coli O157:H7 surrogates on subsequent subprimals.
abstract: Effectiveness of trimming external carcass surfaces from subprimals during fabrication to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 surrogates was evaluated. Carcass sides (n = 10 sides) were inoculated along the hide pattern opening before entering the blast chill cooler with a gelatin slurry containing a bacterial cocktail of three rifampicin-resistant, nonpathogenic E. coli biotype I strains. Following a 48 h chill, sides were fabricated to produce eight subprimals. Microbiological samples were taken from the original carcass fat surface area, initial lean surface area, trimmed fat surface area (where applicable), and trimmed lean surface area (where applicable). Newly exposed lean surfaces had lower (P < 0.05) counts of rifampicin-resistant E. coli than did the external fat surfaces. However, fat and lean surfaces that were not inoculated became contaminated during the fabrication process. Trimming external surfaces reduced levels of pathogens, but under normal fabrication processes, pathogens were still spread to newly exposed surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety, Meat Science Section, Department of Animal Science, Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, 2471 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2471, United States.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Laster
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lucia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Savell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*