Meat Safety News Digest

Survival of E. coli O157:H7 on beef treated with 2% or 5% lactic acid The aim of this American study was to investigate the effects of lactic acid sprays on acid-tolerant E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli on beef surfaces, slices of beef with cut muscle, fat and membrane surfaces. The surfaces were inoculated with a five strain cocktail of acid-adapted E. coli O157:H7, or with a non-acid-adapted strain of E. coli, at 5 and 1 log CFU/cm. Inoculated slices were sprayed with water, 2% or 5% lactic acid at 0.5 ml/cm, and compared to nonsprayed slices. Each acid treatment gave similar reductions in the number of E. coli or E. coli O157:H7. However, reductions were somewhat greater with 5% than with 2% lactic acid. The findings indicated that the E. coli or E. coli O157:H7 that survived acid treatments of meat surfaces were protected from exposure to injurious concentrations of undissociated acid. Consequently, both types of strains of E. coli would be inactivated similarly by solutions of lactic acid applied to beef surfaces. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti cle/pii/S095671351300159X PROCESS AND PACKGING TREATMENTS