Heat resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cook‐in‐bag ground beef as affected by pH and acidulant†

Summary The heat resistance of a four‐strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was tested. The temperature range was 55–62.5 °C and the substrate was beef at pH 4.5 or 5.5, adjusted with either acetic or lactic acid. Inoculated meat, packaged in bags, was completely immersed in a circulating water bath and cooked to an internal temperature of 55, 58, 60, or 62.5 °C in 1 h, and then held for pre‐determined lengths of time. The surviving cell population was enumerated by spiral plating meat samples on tryptic soy agar overlaid with Sorbitol MacConkey agar. Regardless of the acidulant used to modify the pH, the D ‐values at all temperatures were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in ground beef at pH 4.5 as compared with the beef at pH 5.5. At the same pH levels, acetic acid rendered E. coli O157:H7 more sensitive to the lethal effect of heat. The analysis of covariance showed evidence of a significant acidulant and pH interaction on the slopes of the survivor curves at 55 °C. Based on the thermal‐death–time values, contaminated ground beef (pH 5.5/lactic acid) should be heated to an internal temperature of 55 °C for at least 116.3 min and beef (pH 4.5/acetic acid) for 64.8 min to achieve a 4‐log reduction of the pathogen. The heating time at 62.5 °C, to achieve the same level of reduction, was 4.4 and 2.6 min, respectively. Thermal‐death–time values from this study will assist the retail food processors in designing acceptance limits on critical control points that ensure safety of beef originally contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.     

Iron Distribution in Heated Beef and Chicken Muscles

Distribution of iron in six fractions (water-soluble, water-insoluble, diffusate, hematin, total heme, and ferritin) of beef and chicken muscles hcatcd to 55, 70, 85, and 100°C was determined. Iron content decreased in water-soluble fractions and increased in water-insoluble fractions as temperature increased from 27°C to 100°C. Heme iron decreased more from 55°C to 85°C than from 27°C to 55°C or 85°C to 100°C. The increase in diffusate iron appeared to be less than the decrease in heme iron at each heating temperature. As temperature increased from 27°C to 100°C, hematin iron content increased and extractable ferritin iron content decreased. These findings may help explain rapid development of oxidative rancidity in cooked meat.     

Solid-Phase Acid Extraction Improves Thiobarbituric Acid Method to Determine Lipid Oxidation

Samples (110g) of raw (17.2–22.6% fat) and cooked 12.6–16.4% fat) ground beef in plastic cups were stored aerobically at 4±1°C. Lipid oxidation was measured by four versions of the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test, including aqueous acid extraction-C₁₈ (TBA-C₁₈), direct heating, distillation, and unmodified aqueous acid extraction; and by sensory evaluation of rancid odor after 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days storage. The TBA-C₁₈ method was more specific (P <0.05) and its limit of determination was 20 times lower than the other methods in detecting malonaldehyde. Results correlated (r = 0.856 to 0.883 in raw, and r = 0.936 to 0.981 in cooked meat) with sensory evaluation scores.     

High-Protein Texturized Products of Defatted Soy Flour, Corn Starch and Beef: Shelf-Life, Physical and Sensory Properties

Selected mixes consisting of Bf [high-beef (29%) low-fat (2.96%)], bf [low-beef (20%) low-fat] and BF [high-beef high-fat (5%)] which incorporated raw beef, defatted soy flour, and corn starch were extruded in a single-screw extruder. The products had no flavor additives and trained sensory panelists detected hay-like, beany or grainy flavors. Bf extrudate was more expanded than BF extrudate and rated least hard by the sensory panel, whereas bf extrudate was least susceptible to lipid oxidation. Bf and bf extrudates showed microstruc-tures with large air cells. All three showed advantages of beef and soy flour in amino acid and fatty acid compositions, respectively, and were microbiologically safe during prolonged storage at 37°C.     

Catalysis of Lipid Oxidation by Iron from an Insoluble Fraction of Beef Diaphragm Muscle

An insoluble fraction of beef diaphragm muscle was found to catalyze lipid oxidation in the presence of reducing compounds. Ascorbate (100 μM) catalyzed the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances 3.3, 8.3 and 7.3-fold more effectively than cysteine, superoxide and NADPH, respectively. Ascorbate/insoluble fraction-catalyzed lipid oxidation was inhibited bv EDTA, ceruloolasmin, catalase and superoxide dismutase indicating the iivolvemknt of iron, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion. Both lipid oxidation and the release of iron from the insoluble fraction increased with increasing pH (5.0–7.0) in the presence of ascorbate. Iron bound to the insoluble components of beef muscle could be involved in catalysis of lipid oxidation.     

Kappa-Carrageenan, Sodium Chloride and Temperature Affect Yield and Texture of Structured Beef Rolls

Structured lean beef rolls (4–5% fat), formulated with 33% added water, 1% sodium chloride and 0.35% sodium tripolyphosphate and cooked to 63°, 73° and 83°, had low cook yields and poor texture and bind. Kappa-carrageen an (KC) added at 0.5–1% and NaCl at 2–3% increased cook yield and improved textural properties (bind, force to fracture, hardness). Rolls with 1.0% KC and 3% NaCl had the highest cook yield (154% meat weight basis) and the highest values for force to fracture and hardness. Cook yield decreased and hardness increased with increased cooking temperature. Effects of KC on yield and texture were most pronounced at the lowest NaCl level (1%) and the highest temperature (83°). KC also reduced purge of vacuum-packaged slices during refrigerated storage.     

氯化钙处理对牛肉系水力影响的研究

试验采用2因素有重复试验设计,研究对宰后8h的牛肉分别注射肉重3%的浓度为200mmol/L、250mmol/L、300mmol/L的CaCl2溶液,然后将处理样品在4℃下腌制12h、24h、48h,通过对其煮熟率的测定,分析注射CaCl2溶液及腌制时间对牛肉系水力的影响。试验结果表明:与对照组相比,不同浓度的CaCl2溶液处理对牛肉煮熟率影响差异不显著(P>0.05);不同腌制时间对牛肉煮熟率的影响差异亦不显著(P>0.05)。注射CaCl2溶液对牛肉的系水力无显著影响。     

Effects of cooking methods and chemical tenderizers on survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef patties

This study evaluated chemical tenderizers and cooking methods to inactivate Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef patties (model system for non-intact beef). Ground beef was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and mixed with (i) nothing (control), (ii) calcium chloride (CC) and flavoring agents (FA), (iii) CC, FA, and acetic acid (AA), (iv) sodium chloride (SC), sodium tripolyphosphate (ST), and potassium lactate (PL), and (v) the combination of SC, ST, PL, and AA. Patties were stored in aerobic or vacuum bags at − 20, 4, and 12 °C. Samples were grilled, broiled, or pan-fried to 60 or 65 °C. Total bacterial and E. coli O157:H7 populations remained unchanged during storage. Broiling was more effective in reducing E. coli O157:H7 than grilling and pan-frying, and acidified tenderizers reduced E. coli O157:H7 more than non-acidified tenderizers in broiling. Higher reductions were observed at 65 °C than 60 °C in broiled and grilled samples. These results indicate that acidified tenderizers and broiling may be useful in non-intact beef safety.     

Potential of peanut skin phenolic extract as antioxidative and antibacterial agent in cooked and raw ground beef

This study investigated the potential of peanut skin extract (PSE) as inhibitor of lipid oxidation in cooked and raw ground beef (GB) and as antimicrobial agent in raw GB. Results show that addition of PSE to raw GB before cooking significantly inhibited the formation of peroxides and TBARS in cooked GB during the refrigerated storage. PSE at concentration ≥0.06% was as effective as BHA/BHT at 0.02% in inhibiting lipid oxidation. PSE also inhibited the oxidation of meat pigments thereby preserving the fresh redness of treated meat when used at 0.02–0.10%. Microplate assay showed complete inhibition of test bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli) in the presence of PSE at 0.4% or higher. However, the antimicrobial effect of PSE in GB was less potent. Hence, PSE can primarily serve the dual purposes of preserving the colour of raw GB and preventing lipid oxidation in cooked products.     

Risk-based approach to developing a national residue sampling plan for testing under European Union regulation for veterinary medicinal products and coccidiostat feed additives in domestic animal production

A ranking system for veterinary medicinal products and coccidiostat feed additives has been developed as a tool to be applied in a risk-based approach to the residue testing programme for foods of animal origin in the Irish National Residue Control Plan (NRCP). Three characteristics of substances that may occur as residues in food are included in the developed risk ranking system: Potency, as measured by the acceptable daily intake assigned by the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use, to each substance; Usage, as measured by the three factors of Number of Doses, use on Individual animals or for Group treatment, and Withdrawal Period; and Residue Occurrence, as measured by the number of Non-Compliant Samples in the NRCP. For both Number of Doses and Non-Compliant Samples, data for the 5-year period 2008–12 have been used. The risk ranking system for substances was developed for beef cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, chickens and dairy cattle using a scoring system applied to the various parameters described above to give an overall score based on the following equation: Potency × Usage (Number of Doses + Individual/Group Use + Withdrawal Period) × Residue Occurrence. Applying this risk ranking system, the following substances are ranked very highly: antimicrobials such as amoxicillin (for all species except pigs), marbofloxacillin (for beef cattle), oxytetracycline (for all species except chickens), sulfadiazine with trimethoprim (for pigs and chickens) and tilmicosin (for chickens); antiparasitic drugs, such as the benzimidazoles triclabendazole (for beef and dairy cattle), fenbendazole/oxfendazole (for sheep/goats and dairy cattle) and albendazole (for dairy cattle), the avermectin ivermectin (for beef cattle), and anti-fluke drugs closantel and rafoxanide (for sheep/goats); the anticoccidials monensin, narasin, nicarbazin and toltrazuril (for chickens). The risk ranking system described is a relatively simple system designed to provide a reliable basis for selecting the veterinary medicinal products and coccidiostat feed additives that might be prioritised for residue testing.