Steam Surface Pasteurization of Beef Frankfurters

Meat and poultry products are sources of foodborne bacterial contamination. We used flash steam heating followed by evaporative cooling to quickly reduce bacterial contamination on the surface of beef frankfurters without degrading appearance. The rate of heat transfer was studied by measuring surface temperature in a pressure chamber during steam heating. Quality changes were determined by measuring color and weight as functions of steam temperature and treatment time. Efficacy of the process was verified by microbiological experiments using L. innocua. Treatment times of 30–40 set at 115–136°C gave a 4 log reduction in bacterial counts on the surface without severely affecting color or weight. After long-term storage at 6°C and at 19°C, levels of bacteria on inoculated frankfurters remained reduced and there was no difference between treated and untreated products in color or weight.