ARS | Publication request: Application of acidic calcium sulfate and e-polylysine to pre-rigor beef rounds for reduction of pathogens

Submitted to: Journal of Food Safety
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 17, 2011
Publication Date: July 4, 2011
Citation: Njongmeta, N.L., Benli, H., Dunkley, K.D., Dunkley, C.S., Miller, D.R., Anderson, R.C., O'Bryan, C.A., Keeton, J.T., Nisbet, D.J. Crandall, P.G., Ricke, S.C. 2011. Application of acidic calcium sulfate and e-polylysine to pre-rigor beef rounds for reduction of pathogens. Journal of Food Safety. 31:395-400.

Interpretive Summary: Foodborne illness continues to be a serious public health problem and is a major concern for the United States food industry. In order to help develop more effective sanitation technologies to decontaminate beef products, we evaluated the effectiveness of several commonly used treatments when applied in combination with a new disinfectant called episolon-polylysine. We found that numbers of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella Typhiumrium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogens on beef products were significantly reduced when the products were first sprayed with a traditional solution of acidified calcium sulfate and then sprayed with a newly developed solution containing episolon-polylysine. We also found that this combined treatment was much more effective in reducing the pathogens than when the individual treatments were applied singularly or when compared to another treatment using a lactic acid solution. These results indicate that multiple interventions can be a better strategy for pathogen reduction than single treatments and could also provide a more ‘fail-safe’ pathogen reduction strategy. It also appears that combinations of antimicrobial agents that have different modes of action for suppressing pathogen growth and the sequential application of different decontamination sprays are significant factors for obtaining greater reductions in pathogen numbers on beef carcasses at slaughter. Ultimately, this research will yield more effective technologies to help food processors continue to produce safe food for the American consumer.

Technical Abstract: Foodborne illness continues to be a serious public health problem and is a major concern for the United States food industry. This study evaluated the effectiveness of warm solutions of acidic calcium sulfate (ACS), lactic acid (LA), episolon-polylysine (EPL), ACS plus EPL, and sterile distilled water (W) applied to the surface of fresh, pre-rigor beef rounds for reducing Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes applied as a cocktail at a level of 6.4 log CFU/50 cm squared. All treatments were applied for 15 to 20 seconds using a stainless steel spray cabinet at 50-55°C under a constant pressure. Sequential application of warm ACS followed by EPL significantly reduced inoculated levels of S. Typhimurium, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes with an extended effect over seven storage days. This combination was more effective than single treatments of ACS, LA, EPL, or W alone. From these results, it appears that a sequential application of ACS and EPL could be a better strategy for pathogen reduction in meat plants than a single decontamination treatment.