Evaluation of product safety enhancement through antimicrobial electrostatic spray applications on Longissimus lumborum at the sub-primal level and its impact on meat color characteristics

Pathogenic contamination of beef has prompted consumer fear and concern around the globe. It has threatened trade and economic profit and has stimulated ideas for developing new control measures to enhance product safety in beef processes. Even though the beef industry has utilized technologies such as steam pasteurization, and organic acid rinses in carcass decontamination, there is a need for microbial interventions near the end of the production chain to enhance microbial safety. Decontamination technologies have been applied to include: the conventional spraying with water, the spray wash disinfectant, steam pasteurization, and dipping. An alternate form of antimicrobial application is the Electrostatic Spray System. Electrostatic spray application is a novel technology that applies an electrical charge to liquid droplets as they are sprayed through a nozzle allowing uniform coating of the product. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of electrostatic spray application of a hydrochloric/citric acid blend, cetylpyridinium chloride, potassium lactate, trisodium phosphate and water as single antimicrobial interventions at the subprimal level on reducing Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium populations on consequent beef steaks and the treatment impact on beef steak instrumental color properties. Materials and Methods