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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302355
Title: Recovery of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in tenderized veal cordon bleu following cooking on an electric skillet

Author
item KULAS, MEGAN - Kansas State University
item SWARTZ, RICHARD - Pennsylvania State University
item SHANE, LAURA - Drexel University
item STRASSER, HANNAH - Delaware Valley College
item MUNSON, MADISON - Drexel University
item Shoyer, Brad
item Porto-Fett, Anna
item Luchansky, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/5/2014
Publication Date: 8/6/2014
Citation: Kulas, M., Swartz, R., Shane, L., Strasser, H., Munson, M., Shoyer, B.A., Porto Fett, A.C., Luchansky, J.B. 2014. Recovery of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in tenderized veal cordon bleu following cooking on an electric skillet. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection.Volume 1, Page 1. Indianapolis, Indiana, 8/3-8/6, 2014.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The implication of veal products in several recalls due to contamination with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and USDA FSIS verification sampling results revealing a higher percent positive rate of STEC in veal than in beef products provides justification for validating cooking practices for preparing veal products, particularly those processed via mechanical tenderization. Thus, the objective of our study was to evaluate the viability of STEC in tenderized veal cordon bleu cooked on a flat-surface electric skillet. In brief, veal cutlets (ca. 75 g; ca. 0.34 cm thick) were surface inoculated with ca. 6.6 log CFU/g of a rifampicin-resistant, eight-strain cocktail of STEC (STEC-8; O111:H-, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O121:H19, O145:NM, O26:H11, and O157:H7). Following inoculation, cutlets were mechanically tenderized via single passage through a “Sir Steak” tenderizer. Cordon bleu cutlets were then prepared by laying one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese between two tenderized cutlets, and then coating the cutlets with pre-sifted flour, liquid whole eggs, and flavored bread crumbs. For each of three trials, three inoculated and tenderized cutlets were individually cooked on a pre-heated skillet (ca. 191.5 degrees Celsius) for 4 to 10 min per side. Cooking tenderized veal cordon bleu on a pre-heated skillet for 4, 5, or 6 min reduced STEC levels by ca. 1.2, 2.5, and 3.0 log CFU/g, respectively. However, cooking cutlets for 7, 8, 9, or 10 min resulted in reductions of ca. 6.0 to 6.2 log CFU/g. These data validate that cooking tenderized veal cordon bleu for at least 7 min per side on an electric skillet set at ca. 191.5C is sufficient to achieve a greater than 5-log reduction of STEC and, in turn, to appreciably lower the likelihood of illness if cutlets are contaminated with this pathogen.