The effect of four alternative chilling regimes on the bacterial load on beef carcasses.

Abstract:

:The objective of this study was to compare the effect of current (10 °C for 10 h followed by 0 °C with a low fan speed) versus four alternative beef carcass chilling regimes, ranging from -6 °C to 0 °C and wind speeds between 1.5 and 6 m/s on the microbiology of beef carcasses. The temperature and relative humidity (RH) in the chillers, the carcass core and surface temperature, pH, water activity (aw) and carcass weight (drip) loss were recorded. Bacterial concentrations (total viable counts (TVC), total Enterobacteriaceae counts (TEC), Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Brochothrix thermosphacta) were also monitored. Similar pH, aw and drip loss (2%) values were obtained regardless of chilling regime. For the most part, bacterial concentrations were also similar and, where statistically significant (P < 0.05) counts occurred, the reductions were low (≤1 log10 cfu/cm2). It was concluded that the current chilling regime was as effective as the tested alternatives in terms of the bacterial quality of the carcasses.

journal_name

Food Microbiol

journal_title

Food microbiology

authors

McSharry S,Koolman L,Whyte P,Bolton D

doi

10.1016/j.fm.2020.103717

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2021-05-01 00:00:00

pages

103717

eissn

0740-0020

issn

1095-9998

pii

S0740-0020(20)30306-3

journal_volume

95

pub_type

杂志文章