Evaluating the Efficacy of Commonly used Antimicrobial Interventions on Shiga-toxin Producing E. coli Serotypes O26, O103, O111, O145 and O157

This research intended to validate the effectiveness of hot water, lactic acid, FreshFx, Bromitize, peroxyacetic acid, and SANOVA on the inactivation of STEC inoculated fresh beef. Non-O157 STEC have come under increasing regulatory oversight.

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Objectives

The overall objective was to determine effectiveness of existing antimicrobial compound treatments currently used in meat industry on inactivation of STEC inoculated fresh beef.

Conclusions

A study was conducted to determine whether antimicrobial compounds currently used by the meat industry are effective against non-O157 STEC serogroups O26, O103, O111 and O145 compared to E. coli O157:H7. Six antimicrobial compounds used were acidified sodium hypochlorite, peroxyacetic acid, FreshFx, lactic acid, activated hydrobromic acid, and hot water. Based on these findings, all antimicrobial compounds used by meat industry appear to be effect against non-O157 STEC and the reductions of these pathogens on inoculated fresh beef were equally effective against E. coli O157:H7. The degree of effectiveness depended on the antimicrobial compounds used. In the present study, hot water was the most effective in reducing pathogens tested followed by lactic acid. Acidified sodium chlorite and activated hydrobromic acid showed less immediate effect, but increased effectiveness after chilling for 48 h at 4^oC.

Deliverable

The results will assist the meat industry by identifying antimicrobial compounds suitable where processing steps need to be applied for controlling these pathogens, and, thus, enhance meat safety.