Influence of Cooling Rate on Outgrowth of Clostridium perfringens Spores in Cooked Ground Beef.

The ability of Clostridium perfringens spores to germinate and grow was studied to determine a safe cooling rate for cooked beef. Beef samples were inoculated with a cocktail of three strains of heat-shocked C. perfringens spores (NCTC 8238, NCTC 8239 and ATCC 10288), vacuum-packaged, and cooked in a stirred water bath to an internal temperature of 60°C in 1 h.