MICROBIOLOGY OF HOT-FAT-TRIMMED BEEF

The effects of removal of fat from hot beef carcasses on the shelf lif e of beef involved measuring the incidence of aerobic (TPC), lactic (L AG), and coliform (TCC) bacteria and the pathogen Escherichia coli (EC ) from alternate sides that were hot-fat trimmed (HFT) or not trimmed (NFT) then subjected to a conventional 24-h chill. The biceps femoris, psoas major, longissimus thoracis et lumbo-rum, and supraspinatus mus cles were assayed. Higher (P <.05) TPC and EC counts were found for al l muscles at 0 d than at 7 and 14 d of storage. The LAC and TCC counts were higher (P <.05) on all muscles after the 14 d of storage than af ter 0 or 7 d of storage. The significant differences in microbial coun ts were less than one log10/g of tissue and therefore are of questiona ble importance. The HFT did not increase carcass microbial load compar ed with NFT. This study showed that HFT and accelerated processing of beef for the production of lean retail cuts did not adversely affect t he shelf-life of vacuum-packaged beef.