Method for reducing contamination of animal carcasses during slaughtering

A method for reducing contamination of animal carcasses during slaughtering, particularly bovine carcasses. Contamination of carcasses during slaughtering is reduced by applying water and/or an aqueous antimicrobial solution to the carcass concurrently with hide removal. The stickiness of the exposed carcass surface is reduced, so fewer contaminants adhere to the surface, or adhere less tightly, thus minimizing contamination and improving the efficiency of subsequent cleaning procedures

Hot Water Rinses as a Bacteriological Intervention Strategy on Swine Carcasses

Hot water rinses were applied to the forelegs of hog carcasses intentionally contaminated with manure. The water temperature varied from ambient temperature (25oC) to 82oC. The hot water washes were followed by a 1.5% acetic acid rinse, and the carcasses were sampled before the hot water rinse, after the rinse, and after the acid rinse. The hot water rinses reduced the total aerobic population by approximately 2 log10 cycles and the population of Enterobacteriaceae by approximately 2.5 log10 cycles. The acid rinses reduced the total aerobic population by an additional 0.3 log10 cycle (total of 2.3 log10 cycles) and the population of Enterobacteriaceae to below detectable limits (total of 4 log10 cycles)

A Longitudinal Study of the Establishment and Proliferation of Enterococcus on a Dairy Farm

Enterococci are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic cocci. They are found in many environments (including milk and dairy products, vegetables, plants, cereals, and meats). Enterococci are considered commensal organisms, but can also be opportunistic pathogens associated with morbidity and mortality of humans and animals. A longitudinal study of antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus to ampicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline was conducted on an academic teaching farm. Environmental samples were collected by drag swabs at select locations prior to and after the introduction of livestock. All samples were initially processed and screened with specialized media, and then replica plated on tryptic soy agar containing a predetermined amount of antibiotic. There was some variation in the quantity of bacterial and antibiotic-resistant colonies; however, resistance to tetracycline was extremely high. The increases of too numerous to count populations were not time-dependent and appeared consistently after the placement of cows. There is little information on the prevalence and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance of Enterococci outside of the hospital setting, including on dairy farms. Longitudinal studies are important in providing insight into the dynamics of establishment and proliferation of bacteria and of antibiotic resistance

How explicable are differences between reviews that appear to address a similar research question? A review of reviews of physical activity interventions

Background Systematic reviews are promoted as being important to inform decision-making. However, when presented with a set of reviews in a complex area, how easy is it to understand how and why they may differ from one another? Methods An analysis of eight reviews reporting evidence on effectiveness of community interventions to promote physical activity. We assessed review quality and investigated overlap of included studies, citation of relevant reviews, consistency in reporting, and reasons why specific studies may be excluded. Results There were 28 included studies. The majority (n = 22; 79%) were included only in one review. There was little cross-citation between reviews (n = 4/28 possible citations; 14%). Where studies appeared in multiple reviews, results were consistently reported except for complex studies with multiple publications. Review conclusions were similar. For most reviews (n = 6/8; 75%), we could explain why primary data were not included; this was usually due to the scope of the reviews. Most reviews tended to be narrow in focus, making it difficult to gain an understanding of the field as a whole. Conclusions In areas where evaluating impact is known to be difficult, review findings often relate to uncertainty of data and methodologies, rather than providing substantive findings for policy and practice. Systematic ‘maps’ of research can help identify where existing research is robust enough for multiple in-depth syntheses and also show where new reviews are needed. To ensure quality and fidelity, review authors should systematically search for all publications from complex studies. Other relevant reviews should be searched for and cited to facilitate knowledge-building

Maintaining the safety and quality of beef carcass meat

Contamination of animal carcasses during slaughtering procedures is undesirable, but unavoidable in the conversion of live animals to meat for consumption. Internal muscle tissues are essentially sterile, and most initial contamination of red meat carcasses is contributed by the hide during removal (Elmonssalami and Wassef, 1971; Gill and Penny, 1979; Gill et al., 1976). The exposed surface of the hide and the hair accumulate dust, dirt and faecal material, and this is the primary source of bacterial contamination during slaughter (Ayres, 1955; Shotts et al., 1961). The factors that affect the extent of this contamination are reviewed by Patterson (1969) and Grau et al. (1968). Much of the microflora transferred to the tissue surfaces, while aesthetically undesirable, is nonpathogenic; however, pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and pathogenic Escherichia coli can be present

Novel Carcass Rinse Solutions

An exploratory project (“Discovery” category, Iowa State University Food Safety Consortium) was initiated to evaluate different compounds. These compounds were intended to interfere with the initial stages of bacterial attachment. These compounds included mannose and a variety of different detergents. The rinse solutions were applied to pork muscle tissue prior to inoculation with strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Although there was some slight numerical reductions in attachment, these reductions were not statistically significant and did not exceed a 50% reduction

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Effect of Gamma or Beta Radiation on Salmonella DT 104 in Ground Pork

Mixtures of six Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104 strains were inoculated into three ground pork products to determine the effect of fat content on the radiation resistance of Salmonella DT 104. The ground pork products were 90% lean, 50:50 fat:lean, and 100% fat. Inoculated products were irradiated using a gamma radiation source in a self-contained 137Cesium irradiator or a 10 MeV accelerator producing electrons (e-beam). The radiation D 10-values (dose required for a 90% inactivation of viable CFU) for Salmonella DT 104 inoculated into 90% lean ground pork, 50:50 fat/lean ground pork, and 100% pork fat and subjected to beta radiation were 0.42 kGy, 0.43 kGy, and 0.43 kGy, respectively. The corresponding radiation D 10-values for Salmonella DT 104 subject to gamma radiation were 0.56, 0.62, and 0.62 kGy, respectively. There was no statistical significant difference (P = 0.3) in radiation D 10-values for Salmonella in the three products subject to either radiation treatment. Therefore, fat content had no effect. There was a significant difference (P = 0.001) between the radiation D 10-values obtained with the two radiation sources. The radiation D 10-values were within the reported range for irradiation destruction ofSalmonella contaminated raw meat products

Generalized Linear Mixed Model Analysis of Risk Factors for Contamination of Moisture-Enhanced Pork with Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium

Translocation of foodborne pathogens into the interior tissues of pork through moisture enhancement may be of concern if the meat is undercooked. In the present study, a five-strain mixture of Campylobacter jejuni orSalmonella enterica Typhimurium was evenly spread on the surface of fresh pork loins. Pork loins were injected, sliced, vacuum packaged, and stored. After storage, sliced pork was cooked by traditional grilling. Survival ofSalmonella Typhimurium and C. jejuni in the interior tissues of the samples were analyzed by enumeration. The populations of these pathogens dropped below the detection limit (10 colony-forming units/g) in most samples that were cooked to 71.1°C or above. The general linear mixed model procedure was used to model the association between risk factors and the presence/absence of these pathogens after cooking. Estimated regression coefficients associated with the fixed effects indicated that the recovery probability of Salmonella Typhimurium was negatively associated with increasing level of enhancement. The effects of moisture enhancement and cooking on the recovery probability of C. jejuni were moderated by storage temperature. Our findings will assist food processors and regulatory agencies with science-based evaluation of the current processing, storage condition, and cooking guideline for moisture-enhanced pork