Progress 11/26/13 to 10/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Food scientists, food microbiologists, meat scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students at Texas A&M University, Kansas State University,Iowa State University and Purdue University were given opportunities to conduct research, obtain graduate degrees and publish their data in refereed technical journals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data and reports have been presented in posters at international meetings and refereed articles have been published. In addition, a report of the data and results wasprovided to the North American Meat Association. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Impact: Data was collected to determine the most efficient and effective methods of reducing the presence of pathogenic bacteria on beef surfaces. In addition, potential surrogate bacteria were identified that could be used to validate effectiveness of interventions applied in beef processing and heating procedures. 2014:Hot, pre-rigor beef surface samples were removed from two beef carcasses immediately after dehiding and carcass splitting, cutting the surfaces samples into squares approximately 6 x 6 inches and <1 inch thick. Surface samples were attached to vinyl tiles using binder clips, separated into groups of predominantly lean or predominantly fat surface areas, randomized, and then assigned to beef surface type groups and four treatment groups, each representing a situation occurring in slaughter/fabrication operations or published research intended to represent those conditions: (1) Hot (pre-rigor) beef surface, inoculated shortly after removal of the hide and decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid while the beef surface tissue was still hot (represents an actual contamination of the beef surface from the hide during slaughter and decontamination on the slaughter floor); (2) Hot (pre-rigor) beef surface, inoculated shortly after removal of the hide and decontaminated with 4.5%lactic acid after the beef surface tissue was chilled at 2°C for 24 h (represents contamination of the beef surface from the hide during slaughter and decontamination of a chilled subprimal cut during fabrication); (3) Chilled beef surface (2°C for 24 h), inoculated and then decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid (represents several published studies where pre-rigor beef surface tissue was not available or where research intended to investigate the effectiveness of decontaminating chilled subprimal cuts); or (4) Chilled beef surface (2°C for 24 h), rewarmed to a hot carcass temperature (37°C in an incubator), inoculated and then decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid while the beef surface tissue was still warm (represents several published studies where pre-rigor beef surface tissue was not available and the investigators intended to investigate decontamination of beef carcass surface tissue on the slaughter floor). Beef surface tissues were inoculated with 1 mL of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cocktail (O26, O45, O103, O111, O145, O157) and the inoculum was allowed to attach for 30 min. 8 mL of either 4.5% lactic acid or water (control) was applied to the meat surface and allowed a contact time of 3 min before sampling. Surface excise samples were collected before and after treatments using a sterile borer. Serial dilutions of sample homogenates were plated onto Petrifilm E. coli/coliform (ECC; 3M Corporation) plates and incubated at 35 °C for 24 h to determine STEC reductions due to lactic acid spray treatment. A significant effect was observed for STEC reductions, with lactic acid spray being more effective in inoculation scenarios 1 and 2 (pre-rigor inoculation). 2015: Hot boned top sirloin cuts were obtained from a USDAFSIS inspected beef slaughter facility in Stephenville, TX on each of three days and inoculated following an inoculation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) developed with Kansas State University for use by project collaborators. Inoculated sirloins were then transported back to the Texas A&M Center for Food Safety laboratories under refrigeration, vacuum packaged in Cryovac bags, and then stored at 4°C for 28 days. At 28 days of storage, Vacuum packaged sirloins were removed from refrigerated storage and packages were opened aseptically using a sterile scalpel. The subprimal cuts were removed from the Cryovac bags and cut into three individual pieces for treatment. Subprimal cut surfaces were treated with the following four antimicrobials (all at ambient temperature of 25 o C) using calibrated conventional hand pump sprayers: • 4.5% L-lactic acid • 2% lauric arginate • 0.8% Cetylpyridium Chloride • 0.02% Peroxyacetic Acid • Tap water (control) After treatment, two 10-cm 2 (2 mm depth) samples were aseptically excised and placed into a sterile stomacher bag and 99 ml of 0.1% peptone was added to each bag. Samples were pummeled using a Stomacher lab blender at 230 RPM for 1 min and then appropriate dilutions were plated in duplicate on rifampicin-TSA plates. The experiment was repeated two additional times. Log reductions were calculated for each antimicrobial and data is currently in analysis. 2016-18:Research was conducted in collaboration with scientists at Iowa State University and Purdue University to determine if nonpathogenic Escherichia coli could be utilized as a surrogate for Salmonella to validate thermal processing parameters as defined in Appendix A (USDA-FSIS thermal lethality guidelines for ready-to-eat beef and poultry). To construct thermal death time curves, ground beef (fat levels of 5, 10, 20, 25, and 30%) was inoculated with either Salmonella or E. coli before application of a heat treatment. Heating at 54, 57, 60, and 63°C across all fat levels, the E. coli surrogates demonstrated significantly higher (P<0.05) heat resistance than Salmonella, measured as decimal reduction values (D-values). When heating temperatures exceeded 63°C E. coli surrogates and Salmonella were inactivated at similar rates (P>0.05), regardless of fat levels. Results of this study indicate that the absence of the E. coli surrogates after a heat process applied at highertemperatures can provide assurance of Salmonella inactivation. It is likely that the most appropriate use of the E. coli surrogates would be for validating a thermal process designed to inactivate or Salmonella at lower temperatures. Further studies should be conducted to determine the effects of product composition as well as variables inherent to various processing facilities.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Hasty, J.D., J.A. Henson, G.R. Acuff, D.E. Burson, J.B. Luchansky, N.J. Sevart, R.K. Phebus, A.C.S. Porto-Fett, and H. Thippareddi. 2018. Validation of a sequential hide-on bob veal carcass antimicrobial intervention composed of a hot water wash and lactic acid spray in combination with scalding to control Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli surrogates. J. Food Prot. 81:762-768.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Redemann, M.A., J. Brar, S.E. Niebuhr, L.M. Lucia, G.R. Acuff, J.S. Dickson and M. Singh. 2018. Evaluation of thermal process lethality for non-pathogenic Escherichia coli as a surrogate for Salmonella in ground beef. LWT Food Sci. Technol. 90:290-296.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Woerner, D.R., I. Geornaras, J.N. Martin, K.E. Belk, G.R. Acuff, and J.S. Dickson. 2018. Use of Non-Pathogenic Escherichia coli surrogates as predictors of the survival of non-typhoidal Salmonella, non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O157 populations after high hydrostatic pressure processing. J. Food Prot. 81:1068-1072.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Arias-Rios, E.V., G.R. Acuff, A. Castillo, L.M. Lucia, S.E. Niebuhr and J.S. Dickson. Identification of a surrogate to validate irradiation processing of selected spices. LWT Food Sci. Technol. (Submitted 08/15/18).
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Food scientists, food microbiologists, meat scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students at Texas A&M University, Iowa State University and Purdue University were given opportunities to conduct research, obtain graduate degrees and publish their data in refereed technical journals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data and reports have been provided to the North American Meat Association. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?My laboratory will be working with representatives of the beef processing industry to investigate effective pathogen interventions that may be applied to head meat, often used in ground beef and considered higher risk for contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Research was conducted in collaboration with scientists at Iowa State University and Purdue University to determine if non-pathogenic Escherichia coli could be utilized as a surrogate for Salmonella to validate thermal processing parameters as defined in Appendix A (USDA-FSIS thermal lethality guidelines for ready-to-eat beef and poultry). To construct thermal death time curves, ground beef (fat levels of 5, 10, 20, 25, and 30%) was inoculated with either Salmonella or E. coli before application of a heat treatment. Heating at 54, 57, 60, and 63°C across all fat levels, the E. coli surrogates demonstrated significantly higher (P<0.05) heat resistance than Salmonella, measured as decimal reduction values (D-values). When heating temperatures exceeded 63°C E. coli surrogates and Salmonella were inactivated at similar rates (P>0.05), regardless of fat levels. Results of this study indicate that the absence of the E. coli surrogates after a heat process applied at higher temperatures can provide assurance of Salmonella inactivation. It is likely that the most appropriate use of the E. coli surrogates would be for validating a thermal process designed to inactivate or Salmonella at lower temperatures. Further studies should be conducted to determine the effects of product composition as well as variables inherent to various processing facilities.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Dickson, J.S., and G.R. Acuff. 2017. Chapter 8, Maintaining the Safety and Quality of Beef Carcass Meat. Ensuring Safety and Quality in the Production of Beef, Volume 1: Safety. G.R. Acuff and J.S. Dickson, eds., Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge.
- Type:
Books
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Acuff, G.R. and J.S. Dickson, Ensuring Safety and Quality in the Production of Beef, Volume 1: Safety eds., Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Hasty, J., J. Henson, G. Acuff, D. Burson, J. Luchansky, N. Sevart, R. Phebus, A. Porto-Fett, and H. Thippareddi. Validation of a sequential hide-on bob veal carcass antimicrobial intervention comprised of a hot water wash and lactic acid spray in combination with scalding to control Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli surrogates. J. Food Prot. Submitted 09/25/17.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Redemann, M.A., J. Brar, S.E. Niebuhr, L.M. Lucia, G.R. Acuff, J.S. Dickson and M. Singh. Evaluation of thermal process lethality for non-pathogenic Escherichia coli as a surrogate for Salmonella in ground beef. LWT Food Sci. Technol. Submitted 10/18/17.
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Food scientists, food microbiologists, meat scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A graduate student supported by the project assisted with data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with data collection and complete publications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Data was collected in collaboration with scientists at Kansas State University (KSU) to assess the effectiveness of pathogen decontamination treatments on beef carcasses and subprimals through two independent studies. All data was collected at the KSU Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), utilizing available Biosafety Level 3 slaughter and fabrication facilities. In the first experiment, carcass sides were inoculated with a cocktail of rifampicin-resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains and then each side was sprayed with ambient water, hot water, and one of three common decontamination chemicals (4.5% lactic acid at 52oC, 200 ppm peroxyacetic acid, or a proprietary sulfuric acid mixture) utilizing a carcass spray cabinet. The carcass sides were then cooled in a spray chill cooler for 24 h prior to trimming and fabrication into subprimal cuts. The subprimals were sprayed with 4.5% lactic acid at 24oC, 200 ppm peroxyacetic acid, or a proprietary sulfuric acid mixture in a conveyor-style spray cabinet before vacuum packaging and were refrigerated for 72 hours. Following storage, the subprimal cuts were removed from packaging and treated once more with the same chemical treatment previously applied. Microbiological samples were collected prior to and following decontamination treatments and plated on ECC Petrifilm to measure STEC log10 reductions and to determine the total impact of combined decontamination treatments typically used in meat processing. In the second experiment, subprimal cuts were inoculated with the same STEC cocktail and then each subprimal was treated with the same group of chemical decontamination agents. Microbiological samples were again collected prior to and after treatment to evaluate STEC reduction of subprimal cuts without impact of prior treatments applied during slaughter and fabrication.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sevart, N.J., N. Baumann, H. Thippareddi, T.A. Houser, J.B. Luchansky, A.C.S. Porto-Fett, D.B. Marx, G.R. Acuff and R.K. Phebus. 2016. Evaluating the efficacy of three U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved antimicrobial sprays for reducing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli surrogate populations on bob veal carcasses. J. Food Prot. 79:956-962.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Food scientists, food microbiologists, meat scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A graduate student supported by the project assisted with data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The data has been presented in a poster and publications are currently in preparation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Collect additional data and complete publications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Analysis of data from previous yearindicated that inoculation of hot, pre-rigor beef surfaces prior to cooling most accurately represented realistic conditions within beef processing. Therefore, hot boned top sirloin cuts were obtained from a USDA-FSIS inspected beef slaughter facility in Stephenville, TX on each of three days and inoculated following an inoculation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)developed with Kansas State Universityfor use by project collaborators. Inoculated sirloins were then transported back to the Texas A&M Center for Food Safety laboratories under refrigeration, vacuum packaged in Cryovac bags, and then stored at 4°C for 28 days. At 28 days of storage, Vacuum packaged sirloins were removed from refrigerated storage and packages were opened aseptically using a sterile scalpel. The subprimal cuts were removed from the Cryovac bags and cut into three individual pieces for treatment. Subprimal cut surfaces were treated with the following four antimicrobials (all at ambient temperature of 25oC) using calibrated conventional hand pump sprayers: 4.5% L-lactic acid 2% lauric arginate 0.8% Cetylpyridium Chloride 0.02% Peroxyacetic Acid Tap water (control) After treatment, two 10-cm2 (2 mm depth) samples were aseptically excised and placed into a sterile stomacher bag and 99 ml of 0.1% peptone was added to each bag. Samples were pummeled using a Stomacher lab blender at 230 RPM for 1 min and then appropriate dilutions were plated in duplicate on rifampicin-TSA plates. The experiment was repeated two additional times. Log reductions were calculated for each antimicrobial and data is currently in analysis.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sevart, N.J., N. Baumann, H. Thippareddi, T.A. Houser, J.B. Luchansky, A.C.S. Porto-Fett, D.B. Marx, G.R. Acuff and R.K. Phebus. Evaluating the efficacy of three USDA-approved antimicrobial sprays for reducing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) surrogate populations on bob veal carcasses. J. Food Prot. (submitted 8/30/15).
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Progress 11/26/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Food scientists, food microbiologists, meat scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? A graduate student supported by the project assisted with data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The data has been presented in a poster and additional publications are in preparation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Collect additional data and complete publications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Hot, pre-rigor beef surface samples were removed from two beef carcasses immediately after dehiding and carcass splitting, cutting the surfaces samples into squares approximately 6 x 6 inches and <1 inch thick. Surface samples were attached to vinyl tiles using binder clips, separated into groups of predominantly lean or predominantly fat surface areas, randomized, and then assigned to beef surface type groups and four treatment groups, each representing a situation occurring in slaughter/fabrication operations or published research intended to represent those conditions: (1) Hot (pre-rigor) beef surface, inoculated shortly after removal of the hide and decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid while the beef surface tissue was still hot (represents an actual contamination of the beef surface from the hide during slaughter and decontamination on the slaughter floor); (2) Hot (pre-rigor) beef surface, inoculated shortly after removal of the hide and decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid after the beef surface tissue was chilled at 2°C for 24 h (represents contamination of the beef surface from the hide during slaughter and decontamination of a chilled subprimal cut during fabrication); (3) Chilled beef surface (2°C for 24 h), inoculated and then decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid (represents several published studies where pre-rigor beef surface tissue was not available or where research intended to investigate the effectiveness of decontaminating chilled subprimal cuts); or (4) Chilled beef surface (2°C for 24 h), rewarmed to a hot carcass temperature (37°C in an incubator), inoculated and then decontaminated with 4.5% lactic acid while the beef surface tissue was still warm (represents several published studies where pre-rigor beef surface tissue was not available and the investigators intended to investigate decontamination of beef carcass surface tissue on the slaughter floor). Beef surface tissues were inoculated with 1 mL of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cocktail (O26, O45, O103, O111, O145, O157) and the inoculum was allowed to attach for 30 min. 8 mL of either 4.5% lactic acid or water (control) was applied to the meat surface and allowed a contact time of 3 min before sampling. Surface excise samples were collected before and after treatments using a sterile borer. Serial dilutions of sample homogenates were plated onto Petrifilm E. coli/coliform (ECC; 3M Corporation) plates and incubated at 35 °C for 24 h to determine STEC reductions due to lactic acid spray treatment. A significant effect was observed for STEC reductions, with lactic acid spray being more effective in inoculation scenarios 1 and 2 (pre-rigor inoculation).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Moxley, R.A. and G.R. Acuff. 2014. Peri- and Postharvest factors in the control of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in beef. Microbiol. Spectrum 2(6):EHEC-0017-2013. doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.EHEC-0017-2013.
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