title: Microbiological examination of pre-storage and post-storage intervention beef.
abstract: Intervention processing involves processing techniques substantially different from traditional carcass dressing operations. Microbiological analysis of the bacterial flora of intervention beef found that this product had a bacterial population which was similar to that typically encountered on chill stored carcass beef. Counts obtained from freshly processed boned out forequarters displayed mean log(10) counts in the range 3·62-5·37 per gram dependent on enumeration conditions. Post-storage counts were of similar magnitudes. Pre- and post-storage samples demonstrated great genus diversity. Genera diversity was preserved throughout frozen storage yielding a product contaminated with pathogen-containing genera in sizeable proportions. Reasons for the broad similarity in microbial loading, despite numerous divergencies from standard slaughter techniques, between intervention beef and aerobically chill stored beef are discussed.
authors: Food Studies Group, Department of Hotel and Catering Management, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, County Antrim, BT37 0QB, UK.
authors: I S
authors: IS
authors: Blair
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: McDowell