ACETIC-ACID SPRAY INEFFECTIVE ON BEEF CARCASSES WITH LOW BACTERIA COUNTS

Bactericidal applications to meat carcass surfaces during processing a re being considered as potentially beneficial interventions to reduce pathogen contamination and extend shelf-life. The efficacy of dilute ( 10 mL/L) aqueous acetic acid spray treatments of commercially processe d beef carcasses over a BI-week period was determined. Beef carcasses in two commercial processing plants were sprayed twice with dilute aqu eous acetic acid, directly after hide and head removal, and subsequent ly after final carcass wash just prior to chilling. Two control plants did not rise acid spray intervention. Carcass surface tissue samples were excised for bacterial analysis directly before chilling split car casses Samples were analysed for counts of total aerobic bacteria, lac tic acid bacteria, total coliforms, and fecal streptococcus, and incid ence of Salmonella sp. and Listeria monocytogenes Counts were notably low and not meaningfully different between treatments Incidence of Lis teria monocytogenes on carcasses in plants using acid intervention was significantly (P<0.05) higher than in plants not rising acid spray. S almonellae were not detected on any carcass surface tissue samples. Th is processing intervention was ineffective in lowering carcass bacteri a counts and incidence of pathogens below those of control beef proces sing plants averaging low levels (less than log(10) = 4) of bacterial contamination without intervention. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited.