title: Escherichia albertii Inactivation following l-Lactic Acid Exposure or Cooking in Ground Beef.
abstract: Escherichia albertii is an emerging foodborne pathogen recovered from young children and adults exhibiting symptoms of gastroenteritis via pathogenesis factors including attaching and effacing lesions, cytolethal distending toxin, and Shiga toxin variants. Study objectives were to determine E. albertii survival following (i) exposure to lactic acid as a function of solution pH and incubation period and (ii) cooking ground beef patties to different endpoint temperatures. E. albertii was incubated in phosphate buffer containing 3.0% l-lactic acid adjusted to pH 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or 7.0; survivors were determined every 30 min for 150 min. Ground beef patties (80% lean) were cooked to temperature endpoints simulating undercooking (62°C), the minimum temperature for safe cooking (71.1°C), and cooking to well done (76°C). Maximal pathogen reduction was observed after a 30-min exposure to pH 3.0 l-lactic acid. Reductions of 3.9, 4.4, and 4.9 log CFU/g were obtained following cooking ground beef patties to 62, 71.1, and 76°C, respectively, but the reductions did not differ as a function of the endpoint cooking temperature (P ≥ 0.05). E. albertii may be controlled on beef through the proper application of antimicrobial interventions and cooking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Amie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jones-Ibarra
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Kayley R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vuia-Riser
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Chris R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kerth
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: T Matthew
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003296:Cooking; D004925:Escherichia; D019453:Escherichia coli O157; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008460:Meat; D008461:Meat Products; D000069466:Red Meat
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: Beef safety; Cooking; Escherichia albertii; Interventions; Lactic acid