Decontamination of bovine hide surfaces for enhancing food safety: Use of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide and chlorhexidine digluconate

Authors: LONG III, WILBERT - Orise Fellow; Sarker, Majher; Annous, Bassam; Paoli, George

Submitted to: LWT - Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2019
Publication Date: 4/24/2019
Citation: Long III, W., Sarker, M.I., Annous, B.A., Paoli, G. 2019. Decontamination of bovine hide surfaces for enhancing food safety: Use of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide and chlorhexidine digluconate. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 109:255-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2019.04.005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2019.04.005

Interpretive Summary: Fecal material associated with hide surfaces serves as a prime sources of microbial carcass contamination during cattle slaughter and beef processing. However, washing with water alone has limited effectiveness on the sanitization process so effective antimicrobials need to be investigated which may be used during cattle processing. Our research has shown two antimicrobials, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (ATMB) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CDG) have the ability to reduce pathogens significantly from the haired surface of bovine hides when used in aqueous based washing solution at low concentration. In this study, the developed washing formulations have the potential to be used in slaughter house to clean cattle carcasses prior to removal of hides to avoid cross-contamination of pathogens from haired surface to underlying meat.

Technical Abstract: Fecal material associated with hide surfaces serves as a prime sources of carcass contamination during cattle slaughter and beef processing. Carcass washing prior to removal of hide and stringent sanitization steps are effective methods to reduce pathogens on carcasses and decrease chances of cross-contamination. However, water alone has limited effectiveness on the sanitization process so effective antimicrobials need to be investigated which potentially be used during cattle processing. This study evaluated the ability of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (ATMB) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CDG) individually to reduce populations of pathogens in solution and on hides. In TSB solution, ATMB at 250 ppm and 50 ppm concentration at 5 minutes time interval reduced individual inoculated cocktails of Salmonella enterica, E.coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes at averages of 3.76 and 1.77 log CFU/mL, 5.78 and 1.11 log CFU/mL and 2.55 and 0.52 CFU/mL respectively. Similarly, CDG at 500 ppm and 250 ppm at 5 minutes reduced the individual inoculated cocktails of Salmonella enterica and E.coli O157:H7 at averages of 2.52 and 1.14 log CFU/mL, 1.63 and 1.00 log CFU/mL respectively. No significant effect of CDG in reduction of Listeria monocytogenes was observed. Furthermore, at applied concentration, ATMB reduced Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria from the inoculated hide surfaces with the greatest difference in reduction, when compared to water, of 0.59, 1.77 and 2.01 log CFU/mL respectively. CDG reduced Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria from the inoculated hide surface with the greatest difference in reduction of 2.82, 2.41 and 2.18 log CFU/mL respectively when compared to water treatment. Results suggest that spray treatment with ATMB or CDG can limit pathogens on haired surface of hides and wash liquids. Such reductions can assist in food safety and public health by reducing pathogens which may transfer from the haired surface of animal carcasses to the meat and processing equipment.