ULTRA-HIGH TEMPERATURE, ULTRA-SHORT TIME SURFACE PASTEURIZATION OF MEAT

A novel device killed with steam most surface organisms on fresh meat without cooking the surface. Treatment for 25 milliseconds with 145 de grees C thermally saturated steam in the absence of air, followed by v acuum cooling, produced a 4 log kill of an applied dose of 10(7) L. in ocua on raw fresh chicken meat. Similar results were achieved on fresh beef and pork. Total cycle time <1 sec suggested that a single unit c ould serve a broiler processing line, after the chill tank, and before the clean cut-up line.