INHIBITION OF SALMONELLA SEROVARS, ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 AND LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES DURING DRY-CURING AND DRYING OF MEAT: A CASE STUDY WITH BASTURMA

Basturma, a spiced beef product intended to be cooked before consumption, was prepared in three trials by dry‐curing intact surface‐inoculated (6 log cfu per piece with Salmonella serovars, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes) beef eye of round subprimals for 21 days at 6.7C, and then rinsing, pressing and drying for 6–8 days at 21–27C. The finished products had percentage water‐phase salt concentrations of 8.3–18.0 and water activity of 0.84–0.95. In the finished product, no surviving Salmonella serovars and E. coli O157:H7 were detected (<1.0 log cfu) in two trials; in the third trial the reductions were 4.5 and 5.0 log cfu, respectively. L. monocytogenes populations decreased 4.0–4.9 log cfu. Basturma prepared by dry‐curing, rinsing, pressing and drying appears to present little risk of foodborne infection because this process reduces populations of Salmonella serovars, E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. Dry‐curing and drying are potentially very important pathogen‐reduction steps.