A recent study evaluated the effectiveness of sequential, multiple hurdle microbiological intervention systems to improve beef safety. Numerous carcasses at eight plants, fed beef and bull/cow slaughter, were evaluated with over 1,800 bacterial samples taken at various locations on the carcass. Several different intervention systems were assessed. The sequential use of steam vacuuming and pre-evisceration washing plus acetic acid rinsing reduced total plate counts (TPC), total coliform counts (TCC) and Escherichia coli counts (ECC) on carcasses to .25, .21 and .45 %, respectively, of the initial loads of bacteria on the carcasses after dehiding.
The sequential use of thermal pasteurization and final washing plus acetic acid rinsing reduced total plate counts (TPC), total coliform counts (TCC) and Escherichia coli counts (ECC) on carcasses to .54, .03 and .02 %, respectively, of the initial loads of bacteria on the carcasses after dehiding.
Recontamination did occur following evisceration and splitting and increased the TPC, TCC and ECC to 11.54, 26.91 and 17.01 %, of the initial loads of bacteria on the carcasses after dehiding. But the effective use of thermal pasteurization and final washing plus acetic acid rinsing was effective in countering the recontamination and reduced TPC, TCC and ECC to levels exceeding pre-evisceration reduction measures.
This information validates that sequential (multiple hurdle) intervention systems work to reduce bacteria on beef carcasses.