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Title: INCREASED INACTIVATION OF OZONE-TREATED CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SPORES ON FABRICATED BEEF SURFACES USING MILD HEAT

Author
item Novak, John
item YUAN, JAMES - AMERICAN AIR LIQUIDE

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/21/2003
Publication Date: 1/1/2004
Citation: NOVAK, J.S., YUAN, J.T. 2004. INCREASED KILL OF OZONE-TREATED VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SPORES FROM CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS ON BEEF USING MILD HEAT. JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION. Vol. 67(2):342-346.

Interpretive Summary: Beef is a common vehicle for food-borne illness caused by Clostridium perfringens type A. Of the estimated 250,000 cases of illness annually in the U.S. caused by this bacterium, many are the result of improper food cooking or holding temperatures that allow growth of the pathogen to the high cell numbers needed to cause disease. This study successfully demonstrated the use of an aqueous ozone wash on beef surfaces to inactivate and injure both C. perfringens cells and the highly resistant spore form of the bacterium prior to mild heat treatments resulting in a product that is less likely to result in food-borne illness. This holds promise for increasing the safety of beef even after accidental temperature abuse conditions that would normally result in high cell numbers of this microorganism and eliminates the need for over-cooking and use of preservatives.

Technical Abstract: Ozone treatment of beef surfaces enhanced the effectiveness of cooking temperatures ranging from 45C to 75C against enterotoxin-producing strains of Clostridium perfringens. Vegetative cells on beef surfaces at an initial concentration of 5.59 + 0.17 log CFU/g were reduced significantly (P < 0.05) to 4.09 + 0.72 log CFU/g and 3.50 + 0.90 log CFU/g following combined treatments with aqueous ozone (5 ppm) and subsequent heating at 45C and 55C, respectively. Spores on the beef surface were likewise significantly reduced from an initial concentration of 2.94 + 0.37 log spores/g to 2.07 + 0.38 log spores/g and 1.70 + 0.37 log spores/g following the combined treatment with aqueous ozone (5 ppm) and subsequent heating at 55C and 75C, respectively. This study provides evidence for the decreased resistance of vegetative cells and spores of C. perfringens with ozone treatment followed by heat at temperatures that would not otherwise be as effective, thus lowering the requirements for cooking beef while maintaining a margin of safety.