Localized Chemical Decont- amination of Cattle Hides to Reduce Microbial Loads and Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens

ABSTRACT hides of cattle have been shown to be the principal source of E. coli O157:h7 at slaughter. This project was conducted to determine if localized interventions are a viable option for cattle hide decontamination. Localized decontaminant treatments consisting of negative control (CT), warm water (h 2 O), 6.0% lactic acid (LA), 5.0% acetic acid (AA), and 2.7% sodium hydroxide (NaOh) were applied to the pattern lines of beef hides. Samples were collected before and after treatment application and from dressed carcass surfaces and were analyzed for aerobic bacterial plate counts (APC), total coliform count (TCC), biotype I E. coli count (ECC), E. coli O157:h7, and Salmonella. APCs on cattle hides were reduced by 0.11, 2.62, 2.30 and 1.66, TCCs were reduced by -0.09, 3.82, 3.76 and 3.63, and ECCs were reduced by -0.03, 3.77, 3.83 and 3.54 log CFu/400 cm 2 following application of h 2 O, LA, AA and NaOh, respectively. Prevalence of E. coli O157:h7 was reduced by -6.0%, 46.0%, 28.0% and 53.2% and Salmonella was reduced by -20.0%, 0% (none detected), 24.0% and 17.1% following application of h 2 O, LA, AA and NaOh, respectively. use of localized chemical interventions on cattle hides is an effective mechanism for reducing incoming loads of bacteria on hide surfaces and reducing foodborne pathogen prevalence on dressed carcasses