title: Use of low dose e-beam irradiation to reduce E. coli O157:H7, non-O157 (VTEC) E. coli and Salmonella viability on meat surfaces.
abstract: This study determined the extent that irradiation of fresh beef surfaces with an absorbed dose of 1 kGy electron (e-) beam irradiation might reduce the viability of mixtures of O157 and non-O157 verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and Salmonella. These were grouped together based on similar resistances to irradiation and inoculated on beef surfaces (outside flat and inside round, top and bottom muscle cuts), and then e-beam irradiated. Salmonella serovars were most resistant to 1 kGy treatment, showing a reduction of ≤1.9 log CFU/g. This treatment reduced the viability of two groups of non-O157 E. coli mixtures by ≤4.5 and ≤3.9 log CFU/g. Log reductions of ≤4.0 log CFU/g were observed for E. coli O157:H7 cocktails. Since under normal processing conditions the levels of these pathogens on beef carcasses would be lower than the lethality caused by the treatment used, irradiation at 1 kGy would be expected to eliminate the hazard represented by VTEC E. coli.
authors: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2J 3L8 Canada.
authors: Devapriya
authors: D
authors: Kundu
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Gill
authors: Chenyuan
authors: C
authors: Lui
authors: Namita
authors: N
authors: Goswami
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Holley
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005514:Food Irradiation / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D012475:Salmonella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*
keywords: Electron beam; Irradiation; Irradiation resistance; Salmonella; Verotoxigenic E. coli