Melvin Hunt et al, Making ground beef patties and sausage safer, Kansas State University, January 1998

Hunt, Melvin C.

Kastner, Curtis L.

Marsden, James L.

K-State Research Exchange

RESEARCH AND EXTENSIONMAKINGGROUND BEEFPATTIES ANDSAUSAGE SAFERSITUATIONFoodborne illness remains a serious problem. Areport by the Council for Agricultural Science andTechnology has estimated that foodborne diseases inthe United States caused by pathogenic bacterial maycause as many as 9,000 deaths each year and 6.5million to 33 million cases of diarrheal disease. Theannual economic losses associated with foodbornedisease may be as large as $5 billion to $6 billion.THE PROBLEMCOLOR AND SAFETY OFCOOKED GROUND BEEFPremature browning occurs when the interior ofground beef patties appears thoroughly cooked butthe internal end-point temperature isbelow that necessary toensure destruction ofany potentiallypathogenicmicroorganisms.Normally, the cookedcolor of ground beefpatties progresses fromred to pink to brown asend-point temperatureincreases. With prematurebrowning, patties appear cooked at temperatures aslow as 55°C. This phenomenon is of criticalimportance given recent E. coli 0157:H7 outbreaks.THE RESEARCHResearchers analyzed the chemical and physicalproperties of normal and prematurely brownedground beef. They found that premature browning isrelated to the form of the pigment in the raw groundbeef when cooked.THE IMPACTThe findings of this research have influencedthe Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) tosignificantly alter its recommendations to the publicabout cooking ground beef. The new statementcontains nothing about internal color and focuses onend-point temperature. Premature browning maynot be as important an issue in the fast-food industryor in USDA-inspected establishments where specifictime-temperature heating is used, but it is extremelycritical in home and institutional preparation ofground beef patties.THE PROBLEMVALIDATION OF DRY,FERMENTED SAUSAGESIn 1994, an E. coli 0157:H7 foodborne diseaseoutbreak associated with dry, fermented sausageoccurred in the Pacific Northwest. Dry, fermentedsausage products rely on the natural production ofacid by starter cultures and on drying to controlpathogens. Typically, heat is not involved in theprocess. The safety of those products was questionedby consumers and the USDA. The USDA-FSIS hascalled for complete process validation of thoseproducts to assure that they can eliminate E. coli0157:H7.Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service• P R O G R A M U P D A T E S A N D H I G H L I G H T S •X XX XOutdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.2THE RESEARCHThe meat microbiology processing laboratory atK-State Research and Extension has been equippedwith state-of-the-art dry, fermented sausageproduction units to perform process validationstudies. This unique facility for sausage researchallows a replication of any standard industry process.Products also can be inoculated with pathogens.Validation studies have been successfully performedon Lebanon bologna, pepperoni, and summersausage. Various antimicrobial agents have beeninserted into the products to test the productionprocesses, and steps have been taken to enhancepathogen destruction effectiveness during theproduction processes.THE IMPACTValidation studies of most commercially utilizeddry, fermented sausage production processes willprovide industry and USDA answers on how currentsystems can achieve adequate pathogen reductions toassure consumer safety. K-State Research andExtension will additionally provide processors,currently using protocols that are shown to beinadequate, an alternative process to meet USDA E.coli 0157:H7 process elimination standards.RESEARCH AND EXTENSIONKansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, Manhattan, KansasFor more information, please contact your K-State Researchand Extension office in your county or district.MF-2315 January 1998Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended.  Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United StatesDepartment of Agriculture Cooperating, Richard D. Wootton, Associate Director.It is the policy of Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs,services, activities, and materials without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability.  Kansas State University is an Affirmative Action employer.  These materials may beavailable in alternative formats.File Code: Foods and Nutrition—5 SM 1-98—2000CONTACTSMelvin Hunt, ProfessorDepartment of Animal Sciences & Industry224 Weber HallKansas State UniversityManhattan, KS 66506-0201(785) 532-1232E-mail: hhunt@oz.oznet.ksu.eduJames Marsden, Distinguished ProfessorDepartment of Animal Sciences & Industry226 Weber HallKansas State UniversityManhattan, KS 66506-0201(785) 532-1952E-mail: jmarsden@oz.oznet.ksu.eduCurtis Kastner, Department Research CoordinatorDepartment of Animal Sciences and Industry223 Weber HallKansas State UniversityManhattan, KS 66506-0201(785) 532-1234E-mail: ckastner@oz.oznet.ksu.eduOutdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.

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