Incidence of Salmonella on beef carcasses relating to the U.S. meat and poultry inspection regulations.

This article is part of a major study designed to collect baseline contamination data by sampling beef carcasses in seven slaughtering plants (four steer-heifer and three cow-bull plants) during both a dry season (November to January) and a wet season (May to June). Samples (n = 30) were excised from each of three carcass anatomical sites (brisket, flank, and rump) at each of three points in the slaughtering chain (pre-evisceration, following final carcass washing, after 24-h carcass chilling). A total of 3,780 samples (100 cm2 each) were analyzed for presence of Salmonella; aerobic plate counts, total coliform counts, and Escherichia coli counts were also made.

Extent of beef carcass contamination with Escherichia coli and probabilities of passing U.S. regulatory criteria.

In the 1996 U.S. Meat and Poultry Inspection Regulations, Escherichia coli biotype I counts were included as "performance criteria" of the slaughtering process.

Sources and extent of microbiological contamination of beef carcasses in seven United States slaughtering plants.

This study determined microbiological loads of beef carcasses at different stages during the slaughtering to chilling process in seven (four steer/heifer and three cow/bull) plants. Potential sources of contamination (feces, air, lymph nodes) were also tested. Each facility was visited twice, once in November through January (wet season) and again in May through June (dry season).

Effect of water temperature, pressure and chemical solution on removal of fecal material and bacteria from lamb adipose tissue by spray-washing.

The objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy of various water temperatures, pressures and chemical solutions of spray-washing on the removal of fecal and bacterial contamination from lamb carcass samples taken from the breast area (< 15 min post mortem) and inoculated (6.50 cm(2) area) with an ovine fecal paste containing Escherichia coli (ATCC 11370). Inoculated samples were held for 15 min and then knife-trimmed and/or spraywashed with varying water temperatures (16, 35 or 74 °C), pressures (2.

Steam Vacuuming as a Pre-Evisceration Intervention To Decontaminate Beef Carcasses.

One steam-vacuuming unit (Unit A) was evaluated for removal of visible contamination and reduction of bacterial counts on beef carcass surfaces in five processing plants; a second steam-vacuuming unit (Unit B) was evaluated in two of those same plants at a later date. Experimental treatments included appropriate Controls: steam vacuuming carcass surfaces with or without visible contamination, and knife trimming surfaces with visible contamination. Depending on the processing plant, carcasses were tested on the midline or on the round.