Reduction of microbial counts at a commercial beef koshering facility

Effectiveness of a water soaking, salting, and water rinsing (koshering) pr ocess in reducing microbial counts was examined, Beef briskets (30) were sa mpled at four stages in the plant, viz, prewashing, postwashing, after 24 h chilling, and after koshering, Quantitative aerobic plate, coliforms, and Escherichia coli counts, and qualitative analysis for Salmonella were deter mined. PROC MIXED and GLM procedures were applied to determine statistical differences among least square means (LSM) at p less than or equal to 0.05. Microbial counts did not always decrease from prewashing to postwashing, a fter 24 h chilling, or after koshering but koshering reduced APC, coliforms , and E. coli from initial counts, Salmonella were also reduced.