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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409601
Research Project: Holistic Tactics to Advance the Microbiological Safety and Quality of the Red Meat Continuum

Location: Meat Safety and Quality

Title: Validation of a new method of sampling beef manufacturing trimmings for pathogen testing using a manual sampling mitt approach

Author
item Arthur, Terrance
item Reno, Franklin - Frank
item Wheeler, Tommy

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2024
Publication Date: 2/1/2024
Citation: Arthur, T.M., Reno, F.J., Wheeler, T.L. 2024. Validation of a new method of sampling beef manufacturing trimmings for pathogen testing using a manual sampling mitt approach. Journal of Food Protection. 87(3). Article 100233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100233.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100233

Interpretive Summary: A series of trials were conducted to compare manual sampling of raw beef trimmings for pathogen testing using the MicroTally (TM) Swab (MT-Swab), N60-excision, or N60-plus methods to a new method using the MicroTally (TM) Mitt (MT-Mitt). Samples were collected on numerous days from five processing plants. The results of these trials demonstrate that manual sampling of raw beef trimmings using the MT-Mitt is equivalent in recovering bacteria to the MT-Swab, N60-excision, and N60-plus methods. Thus, the MT-Mitt method provides an alternative sampling method with equivalent bacterial recovery and some implementation advantages regarding labor and ease of use relative to other approved methods for sampling beef trimmings.

Technical Abstract: A series of trials were conducted with a total of 360 matched samples comparing manual sampling of raw beef manufacturing trimmings using the MicroTally (TM) Swab (MT-Swab), N60-excision, or N60-plus methods to a novel method using the MicroTally (TM) Mitt (MT-Mitt). These data come from samples collected on numerous days across five processing plants, and multiple lean types. The results of these trials collectively demonstrate that manual sampling of raw beef manufacturing trimmings using the MT-Mitt provides organism recovery that is equivalent to that of the MT-Swab, N60-excision, and N60-plus methods. Thus, the MT-Mitt method provides an alternative sampling method with at least equivalent organism recovery and some implementation advantages pertaining to labor and ease of use relative to other approved methods for sampling beef manufacturing trimmings for pathogen detection. HIGHLIGHTS - Mitt sampler provides organism recovery equivalent to MSD sampling using the MT-Swab. - Mitt sampler provides organism recovery equivalent to N60-excision sampling. - Mitt sampler provides organism recovery equivalent to N60-plus sampling.