Effect of octanoic acid on color characteristics of ground beef applied using conventional and electrostatic spray

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella are food borne pathogens that have resulted in outbreaks of illnesses in the U.S. Although E.coli O157:H7 is the most commonly known shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), six non-O157:H7 STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are gaining public health concern as they have the potential to cause human illnesses (Fratamico et al., 2011). Decontaminating beef trimmings using antimicrobial treatments prior to grinding has shown to be effective in reducing the amount of pathogenic bacteria in final ground beef (Pohlman et al., 2002). Octanoic acid (OA) is a food-grade chemical that has been approved by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS, 2011) for use as an antimicrobial agent in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products up to 400 ppm by weight of the final product and is generally considered as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (GRAS 21 CFR 184.1025). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of OA on beef trimmings applied using an electrostatic and conventional sprayer and its effect on instrumental color characteristics.