EVALUATION OF HAND-TRIMMING, VARIOUS SANITIZING AGENTS, AND HOT-WATERSPRAY-WASHING AS DECONTAMINATION INTERVENTIONS FOR BEEF BRISKET ADIPOSE-TISSUE

Various chemical solutions (5% hydrogen peroxide, 0.5% ozone, 12% tris odium phosphate, 2% acetic acid, and 0.3% commercial sanitizer), water (16 to 74 degrees C) spray-washing interventions, and hand-trimming/s pray-washing treatments were compared for their ability to remove feca l material and to reduce bacterial contamination on beef brisket fat s amples in a model spray-washing cabinet. The samples were inoculated w ith 2.5 cm(2) of a bovine fecal paste inoculated with Escherichia coli (ATCC 11370). Hand-trimming followed by spray-washing with plain wate r (16 to 74 degrees C when it came in contact with the sample; 20.68 b ar pressure; for 36 or 12 s corresponding to chain speeds of 100 or 30 0 carcasses per h) lowered (P < 0.05) microbiological counts, compared to the inoculated control, by 1.41 to 2.50 log colony-forming units ( CFU)/cm(2). Additionally, spraying with chemical solutions (16 degrees C; 1:38 bar, 12 or 36 s), before or after spray-washing with plain wa ter (20.68 bar) of 16 degrees C (36 s), 35 degrees C (12 s) or 74 degr ees C (12 s) reduced bacterial counts by 1.34 to 2.87, 1.18 to 2.86, o r 0.96 to 3.42 log CFU/cm(2), respectively. Reduction in counts was in fluenced by water temperature (16 to 74 degrees C), type of chemical s olution, and sequence of spray application. Under the conditions of th is study, hydrogen peroxide and ozonated water were more effective (P < 0.05) than trisodium phosphate, acetic acid, and a commercial saniti zer when applied after first washing with plain water. Trisodium phosp hate maintained its activity when used before washing with water. In g eneral, water of 74 degrees C caused reductions (P < 0.05) exceeding 3 .0 log CFU/cm(2), which were higher than those achieved by trimming an d spray-washing. No spreading of bacteria in areas immediately adjacen t to the inoculation site was detected following spray-washing.