Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Ground-Beef Patties during Storage at 2, −2, 15 and then −2°C, and −20°C†

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 1243-1247 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN E. ANSAY ◽  
KIM A. DARLING ◽  
CHARLES W. KASPAR
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Frozen Storage ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Control Strain ◽  
Single Strain ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties ◽  
Significant Difference

The survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and of a nonpathogenic control strain of E. coli was monitored in raw ground beef that was stored at 2°C for 4 weeks, −2°C for 4 weeks, 15°C for 4 h and then −2°C for 4 weeks, and −20°C. Irradiated ground beef was inoculated with one E. coli control strain or with a four-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 (ca. 105 CFU/g), formed into patties (30 to 45 g), and stored at the appropriate temperature. The numbers of the E. coli control strain decreased by 1.4 log10 CFU/g, and pathogen numbers declined 1.9 log10 CFU/g when patties were stored for 4 weeks at 2°C. When patties were stored at −2°C for 4 weeks, the numbers of the E. coli control strain and the serotype O157:H7 strains decreased 2.8 and 1.5 log10 CFU/g, respectively. Patties stored at 15°C for 4 h prior to storage at −2°C for 4 weeks resulted in 1.6 and 2.7 log10–CFU/g reduction in the numbers of E. coli and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. Storage of retail ground beef at 15°C for 4 h (tempering) did not result in increased numbers of colony forming units per gram, as determined with violet red bile, MRS lactobacilli, and plate-count agars. Frozen storage (−20°C) of ground-beef patties that had been inoculated with a single strain of E. coli resulted in approximately a 1 to 2 log10–CFU/g reduction in the numbers of the control strain and individual serotype O157:H7 strains after 1 year. There was no significant difference between the survival of the control strain and the O157:H7 strains, nor was there a difference between O157:H7 strains. These data demonstrate that tempering of ground-beef patties prior to low-temperature storage accelerated the decline in the numbers of E. coli O157:H7.

Antibacterial Effect of Lactoferricin B on Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Ground Beef

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 747-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
KUMAR S. VENKITANARAYANAN ◽  
TONG ZHAO ◽  
MICHAEL P. DOYLE
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibacterial Effect ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Sufficient Magnitude ◽  
Peptone Medium

The antibacterial activity of lactoferricin B on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in 1% peptone medium and ground beef was studied at 4 and 10°C. In 1% peptone medium, 50 and 100 μg of lactoferricin B per ml reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by approximately 0.7 and 2.0 log CFU/ml, respectively. Studies comparing the antibacterial effect of lactoferricin B on E. coli O157:H7 in 1% peptone at pH 5.5 and 7.2 did not reveal any significant difference (P > 0.5) at the two pH values. Lactoferricin B (100 μg/g) reduced E. coli O157:H7 population in ground beef by about 0.8 log CFU/g (P < 0.05). No significant difference (P > 0.5) was observed in the total plate count between treatment and control ground beef samples stored at 4 and 10°C. The antibacterial effect of lactoferricin B on E. coli O157:H7 observed in this study is not of sufficient magnitude to merit its use in ground beef for controlling the pathogen.

Incidence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Frozen Beef Patties Produced over an 8-Hour Shift†

2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 1363-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. PAYTON PRUETT ◽  
TIMOTHY BIELA ◽  
CHARLES P. LATTUADA ◽  
PETER M. MROZINSKI ◽  
W. MARK BARBOUR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Positive Results

A ground beef patty processor detected Escherichia coli O157:H7 in five production lots during routine testing with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. This finding stimulated research to determine the incidence and potential entry points of the pathogen during processing. One of these lots (53,960 kg) was divided into 71 pallets (760 kg each) of food service ground beef patties. Ten cartons (19 kg each) were removed from each pallet, for a total of 710 cartons. Four patties were taken from each carton and subdivided to provide comparable samples for E. coli O157:H7 analyses by three different laboratories. Two laboratories employed different immunoassay tests, and one used PCR to screen samples. One sample set was analyzed for aerobic plate, coliform, and E. coli Biotype I counts to determine if any relationship existed between these microbial groups and the incidence of E. coli O157:H7. For 73 samples, presumptive positive results for E. coli O157:H7 were obtained by one or more methods. For 48 of these 73 samples, positive results for the pathogen were culture confirmed. The largest number (29) of culture-confirmed positive E. coli O157:H7 results were detected by PCR. Most positive results were obtained during a short segment of processing. All culture-confirmed E. coli O157:H7 strains were further characterized by two genetic subtyping techniques, resulting in two to four different patterns, depending on the subtyping procedure employed. For any sample tested, the aerobic plate count was <3.0 log CFU/g, and coliform and E. coli Biotype I counts were ≤1.00 log CFU/g. The results of this study suggest that most positive samples were associated with a contaminated batch of raw material introduced just before the 1725- to 1844-h processing segment. These results also indicate that more aggressive sampling plans and genetic screening technologies such as PCR may be used to better detect low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef products.

Validation of the Use of Organic Acids and Acidified Sodium Chlorite To Reduce Escherichia coli O157 and Salmonella Typhimurium in Beef Trim and Ground Beef in a Simulated Processing Environment

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1802-1807 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. HARRIS ◽  
M. F. MILLER ◽  
G. H. LONERAGAN ◽  
M. M. BRASHEARS
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Frozen Storage ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Sodium Chlorite ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Refrigerated Storage ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Antimicrobial Treatments

A study was conducted to determine if acidified sodium chlorite (1,200 ppm) and acetic and lactic acids (2 and 4%) were effective in reducing foodborne pathogens in beef trim prior to grinding in a simulated processing environment. The reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 at high (4.0 log CFU/g) and low (1.0 log CFU/g) inoculation doses was evaluated at various processing steps, including the following: (i) in trim just after treatment application, (ii) in ground beef just after grinding, (iii) in ground beef 24 h after refrigerated storage, (iv) in ground beef 5 days after refrigerated storage, and (v) in ground beef 30 days after frozen storage. All antimicrobial treatments reduced the pathogens on the trim inoculated with the lower inoculation dose to nondetectable numbers in the trim and in the ground beef. There were significant reductions of both pathogens in the trim and in the ground beef inoculated with the high inoculation doses. On the trim itself, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium were reduced by 1.5 to 2.0 log cycles, with no differences among all treatments. In the ground beef, the organic acids were more effective in reducing both pathogens than the acidified sodium chlorite immediately after grinding, but after 1 day of storage, there were no differences among treatments. Overall, in the ground beef, there was a 2.5-log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 and a 1.5-log reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium that was sustained over time in refrigerated and frozen storage. Very few sensory differences between the control samples and the treated samples were detected by a consumer panel. Thus, antimicrobial treatments did not cause serious adverse sensory changes. Use of these antimicrobial treatments can be a promising intervention available to ground beef processors who currently have few interventions in their process.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Ground Beef by Single-Cycle and Multiple-Cycle High-Pressure Treatments

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 811-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
PILAR MORALES ◽  
JAVIER CALZADA ◽  
MARTA ÁVILA ◽  
MANUEL NUÑEZ
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Shear Force ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Single Cycle ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties ◽  
Texture Parameters ◽  
Multiple Cycle

The effect of single- and multiple-cycle high-pressure treatments on the survival of Escherichia coli CECT 4972, a strain belonging to the O157:H7 serotype, in ground beef was investigated. Beef patties were inoculated with 107 CFU/g E. coli O157:H7, and held at 4°C for 20 h before high-pressure treatments. Reduction of the E. coli O157:H7 population by single-cycle treatments at 400 MPa and 12°C ranged from 0.82 log CFU/g for a 1-min cycle to 4.39 log CFU/g for a 20-min cycle. Multiple-cycle treatments were very effective, with four 1-min cycles at 400 MPa and 12°C reducing the E. coli O157:H7 population by 4.38 log CFU/g, and three 5-min cycles by 4.96 log CFU/g. The color parameter L* increased significantly with high-pressure treatments in the interior and the exterior of beef patties, whereas a* decreased in the interior, and b* increased in the exterior—changes that might diminish consumer acceptance of the product. Kramer shear force and energy were generally higher in pressurized than in control ground beef. Maximum values for these texture parameters, which corresponded to tougher patties, were reached after one 10-min cycle in the case of single-cycle treatments or two 5-min cycles in the case of multiple-cycle treatments. High-pressure treatments had no significant effect on Warner-Bratzler shear force.

Heat Resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a Nutrient Medium and in Ground Beef Patties as Influenced by Storage and Holding Temperatures

1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIMOTHY C. JACKSON ◽  
MARGARET D. HARDIN ◽  
GARY R. ACUFF
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Stationary Phase ◽  
Heat Resistance ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Commercial Preparation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties

Stationary-phase cultures of Escherichia coli O157:H7 were inoculated into tryptic soy broth, sealed in vials, and stored at −18°C for 1, 8, and 15 days, or 3 or 15°C for 3, 6, and 9 h. Thermal resistance was determined at 55°C. Each storage treatment was repeated with additional holding at 23 or 30°C for 1, 2, 3, or 4 h prior to heating to simulate potential temperature abuse during handling. Cultures under treatments enabling the growth of E. coli O157:H7 were generally more heat sensitive than those held at temperatures which restricted growth or enabled growth to stationary phase. Cultures stored frozen (−18°C) without holding at elevated temperatures had greater heat resistance than those stored under refrigeration (3°C) or at 15°C. Subsequent holding of frozen cultures at 23 or 30°C resulted in a decrease in heat resistance. To determine whether these responses would be observed under typical commercial preparation procedures, ground beef patties were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and stored at 3 or 15°C for 9 h or at −18°C for 8 d and then held at 21 or 30°C for 0 or 4 h. Patties were grilled to an internal temperature of 54.4°C (130°F), 62.8°C (145°F), or 68.3°C (155°F). Cultures were most resistant in frozen patties, while cultures in patties stored at 15°C were the most heat sensitive. Holding patties at 21 or 30°C prior to grilling resulted in increased sensitivity. Storage and holding temperatures similar to those encountered in food service may influence the ability of E. coli O157:H7 to survive heat treatments.

Growth Rates of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Irradiated Beef†

2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
pp. 1828-1831 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. DICKSON ◽  
D. G. OLSON
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Lag Phase ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Phase Duration ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Generation Times ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Spoilage Microflora

Ground beef was irradiated to 0, 2, or 4 kGy and then inoculated with a mixed culture of four serotypes of salmonellae or five strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The ground beef was stored at either 15 or 25°C, and the growth of the inoculated bacteria was monitored over time. Growth parameters were determined for both the salmonellae and the E. coli O157:H7 using the Gompertz equation. There was no significant difference in lag phase duration or generation time, irrespective of the dose to which the ground beef had previously been exposed. Furthermore, the lag phase durations and generation times determined in this study did not differ significantly from previously published values. This suggests that, although irradiation eliminates a significant portion of the spoilage microflora in ground beef, the absence of this microflora provides no competitive advantage to the growth of salmonellae or E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef.

Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 after Freezing and Thawing in Ground Beef Patties

1998 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 1181-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAY R. SAGE ◽  
STEVEN C. INGRAM
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Microwave Heating ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Strain Atcc ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Population Decrease ◽  
Beef Patties ◽  
Recovered Strain ◽  
Agar Method

Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains QA 326, and ATCC 43889,43894, and 43895 after freezing (−20°C, 24 h) and thawing (4°C for 12 h, 23°C for 3 h, or microwave heating of 700 W for 120 s) in ground beef patties was determined by reference most probable number (MPN), hydrophobic grid membrane filter SD-39 agar, and sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMA) spread-plating methods. Populations decreased from 0.62 to 2.52 log10 CFU/g, with the extent varying significantly by strain. Strain QA 326 populations almost always decreased the most, up to 1.87 log10 CFU/g more than the least sensitive strain. Microwave heating was the most lethal thawing treatment for strain QA 326, and 4°C thawing was the most lethal treatment for strain ATCC 43894. Thawing treatments varied in relative lethality for the other two strains. For strain QA 326 (4°C and microwave thaw treatments) and strain ATCC 43889 (4 and 23°C thawing), the enumeration method significantly affected a population decrease. The SD-39 agar method best recovered strain QA 326 while the SD-39 agar method and the reference MPN method best recovered strain ATCC 43889 after 4 and 23°C thawing, respectively. The greatest difference in population decrease measured by any two methods was 0.58 log10 CFU/g. Results showed (i) a wide range in freeze-thaw sensitivity among E. coli O157:H7 strains, (ii) no thawing method had consistently and significantly greater lethality, and (iii) the reference MPN, SD-39 agar, and SMA methods differed little in ability to enumerate E. coli O157:H7.

scholarly journals Improvement of Immunomagnetic Separation for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Detection by the PickPen Magnetic Particle Separation Device†

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2870-2874 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIANGWU NOU ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
MICHAEL N. GUERINI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Magnetic Particles ◽  
Magnetic Particle ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Immunomagnetic Separation ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
High Background ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Significant Difference

Conventional immunomagnetic separation (IMS) procedures, which use an external magnetic source to capture magnetic particles against the side of a test tube, are labor-intensive and can have poor sensitivity for the target organism because of high background microflora that is not effectively washed away during the IMS process. This report compares the conventional IMS procedure to a new IMS procedure with an intrasolution magnetic particle transfer device, the PickPen. The IMS target for the majority of these studies is Escherichia coli O157:H7 in various types of samples, including cattle feces, hides, carcasses, and ground beef. Comparison of the two IMS methods showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the efficiency of detecting E. coli O157:H7 from cattle carcass surface, cattle hide, and cattle fecal samples. No significant improvement (P > 0.05) in E. coli O157:H7 detection was observed when the PickPen IMS procedure was used to isolate this pathogen from ground beef samples. Use of the PickPen IMS greatly increases the throughput of the IMS procedure and may be more compatible with various emerging technologies for pathogen detection. In addition, the efficacy of sequential IMS for multiple pathogens is reported herein.

Enumeration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Outbreak-Associated Beef Patties

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 1266-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDER GILL ◽  
GEORGE HUSZCZYNSKI
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Most Probable Number ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Probable Number ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties ◽  
Selective Agar ◽  
Agar Media

ABSTRACT An outbreak of five cases of Escherichia coli O157 infection that occurred in Canada in 2012 was linked to frozen beef patties seasoned with garlic and peppercorn. Unopened retail packs of beef patties from the implicated production lot were recovered and analyzed to enumerate E. coli O157, other E. coli strains, and total coliforms. E. coli O157 was not recovered by direct enumeration on selective agar media. E. coli O157 in the samples was estimated at 3.1 most probable number per 140 g of beef patty, other E. coli was 11 CFU/g, and coliforms were 120 CFU/g. These results indicate that the presence of E. coli O157 in ground beef at levels below 0.1 CFU/g may cause outbreaks. However, the roles of temperature abuse, undercooking, and cross-contamination in amplifying the risk are unknown.

Effects of Vacuum or Modified Atmosphere Packaging in Combination with Irradiation for Control of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Ground Beef Patties

2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 2018-2023 ◽  
Author(s):  
LI L. KUDRA ◽  
JOSEPH G. SEBRANEK ◽  
JAMES S. DICKSON ◽  
AUBREY F. MENDONCA ◽  
ELAINE M. LARSON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Modified Atmosphere Packaging ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Vacuum Packaging ◽  
Modified Atmosphere ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Refrigerated Storage ◽  
High Co2 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Patties

The efficacy of controlling Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef patties by combining irradiation with vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was investigated. Fresh ground beef patties were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 at 5 log CFU/g. Single patties, packaged with vacuum or high-CO2 MAP (99.6% CO2 plus 0.4% CO), were irradiated at 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 kGy. The D10-value for this pathogen was 0.47 ± 0.02 kGy in vacuum and 0.50 ± 0.02 kGy in MAP packaging. Irradiation with 1.5 kGy reduced E. coli O157:H7 by 3.0 to 3.3 log, while 0.5 and 1.0 kGy achieved reductions of 0.7 to 1.0, and 2.0 to 2.2 log, respectively. After irradiation, the numbers of survivors of this pathogen on beef patties in refrigerated storage (4°C) did not change significantly for 6 weeks. Temperature abuse (at 25°C) resulted in growth in vacuum-packaged patties treated with 0.5 and 1.5 kGy, but no growth in MAP packages. This study demonstrated that combining irradiation with MAP was similar in effectiveness to irradiation with vacuum packaging for control of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef patties during refrigerated storage. However, high-CO2 MAP appeared to be more effective after temperature abuse.

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