Sources of Variation at the Retail Level in Bacteriological Condition of Ground Beef1

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 385-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. FIELD ◽  
F. C. SMITH ◽  
D. D. DEANE ◽  
G. M. THOMAS ◽  
A. W. KOTULA

Ground beef from two locker plants using beef trimmings, and two retail stores, using 4.5-kg chub packs of coarse-ground centrally packaged beef as a source of meat, was evaluated microbiologically on the first Monday and Wednesday of every other month for 14 months. Only slight variations in coliform, fecal coliform, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and aerobic plate counts by plant or retail store were noted. Both retail stores using chub packs showed average total aerobic plate counts of 3.5 × 106/g while one locker plant averaged 1.7 × 106/g and the other 7.7 × 106/g. Source of meat for ground beef and holding time of the meat contributed most to differences in microbiological quality. Overall, ground meat packaged on Monday had higher (P<05) average total aerobic plate counts (5.7 × 106/g) than that packaged on Wednesday (2.5 × 106/g) when more recent beef shipments were available. Coliform, fecal coliform, and coagulase-positive staphylococcus counts followed the same patterns as noted for total aerobic plate counts. Total aerobic plate counts in beef increased slightly in the locker plants where game was processed in the fall, in addition to beef. However, game meat did not cause Salmonella contamination of ground beef in plants where both game and beef were processed. Three Salmonella positive samples out of the 112 total ground beef samples and the 112 swabs from used grinders were isolated and serotyped.

1981 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
FATIMA S. ALI ◽  
FRANCES O. VANDUYNE

Six lots of ground meat, obtained at intervals from a local supermarket, were frozen, and later held with other frozen foods in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator-freezer where power failure was simulated by unplugging the unit. Mean values for the counts (log10) of the beef as purchased were as follows: aerobic and psychrotrophic plate counts 6.35 and 6.66, respectively; presumptive coliforms 4.48; coagulase-positive staphylococci 4.67; and presumptive Clostridium perfringens 1.43. Presumptive salmonellae were detected in three of the six lots. Counts of the same order of magnitude as above were obtained after 7 days in the freezers, complete defrost of the meat and 6 h thereafter. Between 6 and 24 h, aerobic and psychrotrophic plate counts and numbers of coliforms and coagulase-positive staphylococci increased approximately 10-fold. Forty-eight hours after complete defrost, further increases in counts occurred. The appearance and aroma of the meat were acceptable 24 h after defrost; after 48 h, it would have been discarded because of browning, slime and off-odors.


2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1232-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
DAVID JORDAN ◽  
STEPHEN MORRIS ◽  
IAN JENSON ◽  
JOHN SUMNER

A national survey of the microbiology of meat (ground beef and diced lamb) at the retail level in Australia was undertaken. For ground beef samples (n = 360), the mean aerobic plate count (APC) was 5.79 log CFU/g, and Escherichia coli was detected in 17.8% of samples; the mean population for these positive samples was 1.49 log CFU/g. Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 96.9% of samples (mean for positive samples, 3.01 log CFU/g), and coagulase-positive staphylococci were detected in 28.1% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.18 log CFU/g). For diced lamb samples (n = 360), the mean APC was 5.71 log CFU/g, and E. coli was detected in 16.7% of samples (mean for positive samples, 1.67 log CFU/g). Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 91.1% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.85 log CFU/g), and coagulase-positive staphylococci were detected in 22.5% of samples (mean for positive samples, 2.34 log CFU/g). Salmonella was recovered from 4 (1.1%) of the 360 ground beef samples (isolates were Salmonella Typhimurium phage types), and E. coli O157 was recovered from 1 (0.3%) of 357 samples; Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens were not recovered from any of the 91 and 94 samples tested, respectively. Salmonella was recovered from 2 (0.6%) of the 360 diced lamb samples (serovars were Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Typhimurium), Campylobacter was recovered from 1 (1.1%) of 95 samples, and C. perfringens was recovered from 1 (1.1%) of 92 samples.


1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 790-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES F. FOSTER ◽  
JAMES L. FOWLER ◽  
WARREN C. LADIGES

The microbiological quality of 150 units of raw ground beef obtained from a local retail store was determined. The range of aerobic plate counts was from 6.9 × 104 to 8.3 × 107/g. By using the most probable number method 96.7% of the 150 units were positive for coliforms, 94.7% for Escherichia coli and 61.3% for Staphylococcus aureus. By the plate methods, 99.3% of the units were positive for fecal streptococci and 56% were positive for Clostridium perfringens. No salmonellae were isolated. Aerobic and anaerobic organisms were isolated and identified. E. coli was the most frequently isolated aerobe followed by organisms in the Klebsiella-Enterobacter group. Among the anaerobic isolates, C. perfringens was the organism most frequently encountered.


1980 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 679-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Y. D'AOUST ◽  
R. GELINAS ◽  
C. MAISHMENT

The efficacy of two methods for detection of Salmonella in 29 fish and 312 shellfish samples was evaluated, using replicate samples (100 g) of food homogenate. In method A, samples were preenriched 3 h in lactose broth, selectively enriched overnight in selenite cystine (35 C) and plated on brilliant green sulfa, xylose lysine desoxycholate and Hektoen enteric agar media. In method B, overnight nutrient broth cultures were enriched in tetrathionate brilliant green (43 C) and selenite cystine (35 C) broths and plated on brilliant green sulfa and bismuth sulfite agar media. Salmonella was recovered from seven (3%) shrimp samples of which six were detected by method B alone; the single positive sample detected by method A was negative by method B. Infected shrimp samples did not harbor coagulase-positive staphylococci, and aerobic plate counts ranged from 105 to 107 cells/g; two of the seven positive samples contained no detectable Escherichia coli. Our results suggest that short preenrichment incubation periods are not reliable and that tetrathionate brilliant green is superior to selenite cystine for effective recovery of Salmonella in shellfish. Coliforms are not reliable as an index of microbiological quality of fish and shellfish.


1980 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 769-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. HACKNEY ◽  
B. RAY ◽  
M. L. SPECK

Microbiological analyses of 716 seafood samples over a 3-year period revealed that the microbiological quality of fresh seafood in North Carolina was generally acceptable. The mean aerobic counts (APC) and fecal coliform counts were low as was the occurrence of enteric pathogens, except for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and coagulase-positive staphylococci. Salmonella species were isolated from three samples, but the fecal coliform counts of these samples far exceeded the shellfish standard of the United States Food and Drug Administration. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated in low numbers from nearly all the different types of seafoods; unpasteurized crabmeat and head-peeled shrimp samples showed the highest counts (10% of these samples had numbers which exceeded 100/g). V. parahaemolyticus occurred frequently in fresh seafood (overall 46% of the samples were positive) and its numbers showed a definite seasonal variation. No positive statistical correlation was found between the numbers of V. parahaemolyticus and the bacteriological indices, such as coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci and APC. Processing practices were found to influence the occurrence of V. parahaemolvticus in seafood; for example, improperly cleaned flumes were found to be a reservoir for V. parahaemolyticus in mechanical scallop processing plants. Also ‘picking’ waste ‘containers’ were found to be sources of V. parahaemolyticus in crab processing plants. Some processing practices such as heat shocking of oysters to facilitate opening were found to reduce the numbers of V. parahaemolyticus. Fifty V. parahaemolyticus isolates from different seafoods were tested for their Kanagawa reaction and all were found to be negative.


1974 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. C. Smith ◽  
R. A. Field ◽  
J. C. Adams

Total bacteria present on antelope, mule deer, and elk carcasses and in ground meat from these carcasses were determined. In addition to total aerobic plate counts, counts for coliforms, fecal coliforms, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and Salmonella spp. were made. Average total aerobic plate counts of ground game ranged from 0.7 to 53 million organisms per gram. Surface swabs showed the bacterial counts to increase greatly during the 2-week aging period. Large numbers of coliforms and fecal coliforms were found in game meat. Nevertheless, game meat contained very few coagulase-positive staphylococci and no Salmonella spp. were detected.


1992 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-107
Author(s):  
DEOGHWAN OH ◽  
DOUGLAS L. MARSHALL ◽  
MICHAEL W. MOODY ◽  
J. DAVID BANKSTON

Microbiological analyses were made on samples of cooked blue crab taken immediately after debacking and either forced-air cooling or static-air cooling. Forced-air cooling had significantly lower (P<0.05) total coliform and fecal coliform counts, 2.51 and 2.30 log10 MPN/100 g, compared with those of static-air cooling, 2.83 and 2.60 log10 MPN/100 g. All treatments had less than 2.30 log10 MPN/100 g Escherichia coli. Staphylococcus aureus counts in the forced-air cooled crabs were approximately 4-fold lower than counts in static-air cooled crabs. The aerobic plate counts and psychrotrophic plate counts were significantly lower (P<0.01) by 1.04 and 0.81 log10 CFU/g, respectively, by forced-air cooling compared to static-air cooling. Thermocouple temperature readings were used to determine differences in cooling rates between forced-air and static-air cooling. After 1.5 h of cooling, the initial precooled crabmeat temperature of 34°C (93°F) was reduced by forced-air cooling and static-air cooling to 4°C (40°F) and 20°C (67°F), respectively. The rates of cooling using forced-air and static-air were significantly different (P<0.01).


1973 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 375-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Duitschaever ◽  
D. R. Arnott ◽  
D. H. Bullock

A total of 213 samples of various types of raw refrigerated ground beef from 51 different retail stores in Ontario were analyzed for their microbial content. Mesophilic and psychrotrophic counts on 64% of the samples were in excess of 10 million per gram. All samples yielded staphylococci with 98% containing >1000 organisms per gram. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 17% of the samples. Enterococcus counts ranged from <10 to 10,000 per gram. About 95% of the samples had coliform counts in excess of 100 per gram and counts in individual samples varied from <10 to 100,000 per gram. Salmonellae were not isolated.


1969 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-97
Author(s):  
F. Fernández-Coll

Samples of selected frozen Puerto Rican foods were purchased at the retail level and analyzed microbiologically. There was variation in the microbiological quality of these foods, particularly among brands within a given product. Some samples had high coliform and fecal coliform counts, although no coagulase positive staphylococci or Salmonella was found in any sample tested. Some of these foods were cooked according to processor's instructions and then held warm for up to 4 hr at 38° C to reproduce conditions prevailing in routine practice in some cafeterias and fast food establishments. Results demonstrated that total bacterial counts were greatly diminished and in most cases completely eliminated, and that coliforms and fecal coliforms were completely destroyed in all cases by the cooking process. Holding foods warm for 4 hr after cooking did not increase the microbial content of any of the samples. Provided post cooking contamination is avoided, holding these cooked foods at warm temperatures does not affect their microbiological quality.


1982 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. JOHNSTON ◽  
M. E. HARRIS ◽  
A. B. MORAN ◽  
G. W. KRUMM ◽  
W. H. LEE

The microbiological quality of 150 samples of commercial vacuum-packaged beef knuckles and 150 samples of non-vacuum-packaged hanging beef knuckles were tested. Samples were obtained at random from commissaries at several locations just before distribution of the beef to retail stores. In general, the vacuum-packaged beef had 1 to 2 logs higher indicator bacterial levels than the hanging beef. The odor and appearance of all 300 samples of beef were normal, even though some individual beef samples had rather high bacterial counts. Salmonella was detected in only 1 sample out of all the 300 tested. Yersinia enterocolitica was recovered from 66 samples of vacuum-packaged beef and from only 4 samples of hanging beef. None of the Y. enterocolitica recovered from beef contained the virulence plasmid or were virulent to mice. Most probably these rhamnose-positive and esculin-positive Y. enterocolitica strains recovered from vacuum-packaged beef are not a potential health hazard.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document