scholarly journals Microbiological Characterization of Imported and Domestic Boneless Beef Trim Used for Ground Beef†

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 440-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
MICHAEL N. GUERINI ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
MOHAMMAD KOOHMARAIE

The United States imports lean boneless beef trim from Australia (AUS), New Zealand (NZL), and Uruguay (URY) to meet demand for ground beef production. The reported incidence of and etiological agents responsible for foodborne diseases differ between these countries and the United States. Our objective was to determine whether current U.S. microbiological profiling adequately addresses the potential differences between foreign and domestic beef trim. We compared the hygienic status of imported and domestic (USA) beef trim by enumeration of aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. We also compared the prevalence of pathogens between imported and domestic samples by screening for the presence of Salmonella, Campylobacter spp., Listeria spp., and non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC). A total of 1,186 samples (487 USA, 220 AUS, 223 NZL, and 256 URY) of boneless beef trim were analyzed. Results of enumeration revealed significant differences between samples from all countries, with the lowest pathogen numbers in samples from AUS and the highest in samples from URY. Six Salmonella isolates (1 NZL, 1 URY, and 4 USA), 79 L. monocytogenes isolates (4 AUS, 5 NZL, 53 URY, and 17 USA), and 7 Campylobacter isolates (1 NZL, 1 URY, 5 USA) were found among the trim samples tested. Non-O157 STEC prevalence was 10% in NZL samples and about 30% in all of the other samples; 99 STEC strains were isolated. Serotyping of these isolates revealed that serotypes associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome were not different in prevalence between imported and domestic beef trim. Although it may be tempting to do so, these data cannot be used to compare the microbiological quality of beef trim between the countries examined. However, these results indicate that the current pathogen monitoring procedures in the United States are adequate for evaluation of imported beef trim.

1983 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD ◽  
G. A. JARVIS ◽  
K. F. WEISS ◽  
G. W. RIEDEL ◽  
S. CHARBONNEAU

Ten types of frozen cream-type pies, manufactured in Canada and imported from the United States, were analyzed for aerobic colony counts, yeasts and molds, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella. The variations in counts depended more on the manufacturer than on the type of pie and the ingredients used. Five of the 465 examined pies had an excess of 105 aerobic colony counts/g, whereas the median value for all the pies examined was between 102 and 103 CFU/g. E. coli and S. aureus were present in few pies, mainly made by one manufacturer, but there was no correlation between high aerobic colony counts and these organisms. Salmonella was not found in any of the pies. Percentage distributions of the estimated ‘population’ of pies available nationally at the time of the survey were statistically determined. These were then compared with suggested national guidelines in the form of a three-class acceptance plan based on United States surveys and desirable manufacturing practices. These indicate that pies should contain aerobic colony counts of <50,000/g, yeast and mold counts of <500/g, S. aureus counts of <100/g, coliform counts of <50/g, E. coli counts of <10/g, and no Salmonella. Three of the six manufacturers would have had an estimated 5.4 to 32.6% of lots in excess of the guidelines at the time of the survey.


2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1811-1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
NORASAK KALCHAYANAND ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
MICHAEL N. GUERINI ◽  
...  

Although the United States produces 203 million lb (ca. 92.1 kg) of domestic lamb and mutton each year, thorough studies of the microbiological safety during lamb processing are lacking. To address this missing information, a total of 2,548 sponge samples from pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses were collected from multiple large commercial lamb processing plants to determine aerobic plate counts, the prevalences of Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC), and Salmonella. The averages of the aerobic plate counts from pelts, the preevisceration carcasses, and the postintervention carcasses were 6.3, 4.4, and 2.4 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively. The prevalences of E. coli O157:H7 from the pelts, the preevisceration carcasses, and the postintervention carcasses were 12.8, 1.6, and 2.9%, respectively. The average Salmonella prevalences were 14.4, 4.3, and 1.8% for pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses, respectively. The most frequently identified Salmonella serotype was Heidelberg. The prevalences of non-O157 STEC from pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses averaged 86.2, 78.6, and 81.6%, respectively. A total of 488 non-O157 STEC strains were isolated from postintervention carcasses. Sixty-nine different serotypes of non-O157 STEC were identified. The most frequently detected serotypes were O91:H14 (40.8%), followed by O5:H19 (18.4%). A small number of STEC serotypes associated with severe human illness were isolated from postintervention carcasses. These were serotypes O76:H19, O128:H2 (0.8%), O146:H8 (2.1%), O146:H21, O163:H19, and O174:H8 (1.3%). The results of this study establish a baseline for microbiological quality and prevalences of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and STEC in U.S. lamb processing plants.


2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
ETHEL V. TAYLOR ◽  
KRISTIN G. HOLT ◽  
BARBARA E. MAHON ◽  
TRACY AYERS ◽  
DAWN NORTON ◽  
...  

Infection resulting from foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, is often associated with consumption of raw or undercooked ground beef. However, little is known about the frequency of ground beef consumption in the general population. The objective of this study was to describe patterns of self-reported ground beef and pink ground beef consumption using data from the 2006 through 2007 FoodNet Population Survey. From 1 July 2006 until 30 June 2007, residents of 10 FoodNet sites were contacted by telephone and asked about foods consumed within the previous week. The survey included questions regarding consumption of ground beef patties both inside and outside the home, the consumption of pink ground beef patties and other types of ground beef inside the home, and consumption of ground beef outside the home. Of 8,543 survey respondents, 75.3% reported consuming some type of ground beef in the home. Of respondents who ate ground beef patties in the home, 18.0% reported consuming pink ground beef. Consumption of ground beef was reported most frequently among men, persons with incomes from $40,000 to $75,000 per year, and persons with a high school or college education. Ground beef consumption was least often reported in adults ≥65 years of age. Men and persons with a graduate level education most commonly reported eating pink ground beef in the home. Reported consumption of ground beef and pink ground beef did not differ by season. Ground beef is a frequently consumed food item in the United States, and rates of consumption of pink ground beef have changed little since previous studies. The high rate of consumption of beef that has not been cooked sufficiently to kill pathogens makes pasteurization of ground beef an important consideration, especially for those individuals at high risk of complications from foodborne illnesses such as hemolytic uremic syndrome.


2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID W. K. ACHESON

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is but one of a group of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that cause both intestinal disease such as bloody and nonbloody diarrhea and serious complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). While E. coli O157: H7 is the most renowned STEC, over 200 different types of STEC have been documented in meat and animals, at least 60 of which have been linked with human disease. A number of studies have suggested that non-O157 STEC are associated with clinical disease, and non-O157 STEC are present in the food supply. Non-O157 STEC, such as O111 have caused large outbreaks and HUS in the United States and other countries. The current policy in the United States is to examine ground beef for O157:H7 only, but restricting the focus to O157 will miss other important human STEC pathogens.


2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
DAVID JORDAN ◽  
STEPHEN MORRIS ◽  
IAN JENSON ◽  
JOHN SUMNER

The third national baseline microbiological survey of Australian beef carcasses and frozen boneless beef was conducted in 2004. Carcasses (n = 1,155) sampled at 27 slaughter establishments had a mean aerobic plate count (at 25°C) of 1.3 log CFU/cm2. Escherichia coli was isolated from 8.0% of the carcasses, with a mean count of −0.8 log CFU/cm2 for positive samples. On samples from 24 boning (fabrication) plants (n = 1,082), the mean aerobic plate count for frozen boneless beef was 1.3 log CFU/g, and the mean count for the 1.8% of samples with detectable E. coli was 1.5 log CFU/g. E. coli O157: H7 was isolated from 1 of 1,143 carcasses and from 0 of 1,082 boneless samples. Salmonella was isolated from 0 of 1,155 carcasses and from 1 of 1,082 samples of boneless product. No Campylobacter spp. were isolated from carcasses or boneless beef. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 28.7% of beef carcasses and 20.3% of boneless beef samples, and positive samples had a mean count of 0.3 log CFU/cm2 and 0.8 log CFU/g, respectively.


1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. GOEPFERT

Nine hundred fifty-five samples of raw ground beef obtained from supermarkets throughout the United States were examined for coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Aerobic Plate Count (APC). The results were compared with existent standards for E. coli in raw meat in New York and Oregon. Lack of homogenious distribution of E. coli in fresh ground beef was demonstrated. Observations were made that indicate that a 2 day-two step procedure will detect the same number of E. coli as the more time consuming four step MPN procedure 98% of the time. A comparison of the APC obtained by incubating plates at 20 C and 35 C showed there to be an average 10-fold difference with the 20 C incubation always higher. Questions are raised about the necessity of microbial standards for raw meat and the validity of incorporating E. coli in such standards.


2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 1615-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia V. Rump ◽  
Sonya Bodeis-Jones ◽  
Jason Abbott ◽  
Shaohua Zhao ◽  
Julie Kase ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEscherichia coliO104 isolates collected from different sources in the United States were examined for virulence genes typical of enterohemorrhagicE. coliand those identified in the O104:H4 isolate associated with the 2011 German outbreak. The unexpected presence of virulence markers in these isolates highlights the importance of screening unusual and potentially pathogenic Shiga toxin-producingE. coliserotypes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1099-1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
NORMAN J. STERN ◽  
J. ERIC LINE

The maintenance and survival of target pathogens during transport from the field collection site to the analytical laboratory is essential for obtaining accurate and reliable data. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of sterile tap water (SW), buffered peptone water (BPW), and universal preenrichment broth (UP) for maintaining populations of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella, and Escherichia coli for 24 h under simulated transport conditions. Freshly processed broiler carcasses (n = 100) were rinsed in SW. The rinses were divided, and components were added to create equal volumes of rinse samples consisting of SW, BPW, and UP. The rinses were analyzed for the target organisms immediately and again after 24 h of simulated chilled transport conditions. The only meaningful difference between the different transport media was found for UP, which recovered fewer E. coli than did either SW or BPW. These findings support the conclusion that either SW or BPW should be used as a broiler carcass rinse and/or transport medium to accurately depict the levels or presence of these three target bacteria as a whole. Because potable water differs in pH and hardness across the United States, a follow-up study was conducted to investigate whether water hardness or pH within the ranges normally found across the United States would affect Campylobacter recovery from carcass rinses. No significant differences were detected.


1985 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. WENTZ ◽  
A. P. DURAN ◽  
A. SWARTZENTRUBER ◽  
A. H. SCHWAB ◽  
F. D. McCLURE ◽  
...  

Duplicate samples of crab and crabmeat (body meat and claw meat) were collected four times a day for two consecutive days at seven in-line locations (plus finished product claw and body meat) along the processing lines of 47 crabmeat plants located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. All the plants adhered to Good Manufacturing Practice, as determined by visual inspection. Two sanitation inspections and sample collections were conducted at 5-month intervals to reflect seasonal variation. In all, 8,477 in-line samples and 2,459 finished product units of blue crab and crabmeat and 522 in-line samples and 128 finished product units of red crab and Maine crab and crabmeat were analyzed microbiologically. Geometric mean aerobic plate count at 35°C (APC 35) values increased from 1,200 CFU/g before pick to 20,000 CFU/g in the finished product (body meat). For claw meat, APC 35 values increased from 15,000 CFU/g before pick to 24,000 CFU/g in the finished product. Aerobic plate count at 30°C (APC 30) values were consistently higher (2-fold or less) than APC 35 values. Coliform counts in both finished products were ≥19/g in approximately 60% of the units. Coliforms exceeded 500/g in 3.8 and 3.2% of the finished product units for body meat and claw meat, respectively. Geometric mean Escherichia coli counts were <3 for all sample sites and finished products, with only 3.3 and 2.7% of the units showing detectable E. coli for body meat and claw meat, respectively. Geometric mean values for Staphylococcus aureus were 16.8/g for finished body meat and 16.0/g for finished claw meat; approximately 20% of the units of both finished products had S. aureus values >100/g. S. aureus counts increased significantly after picking.


2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. LORUSSO ◽  
A. DAMBROSIO ◽  
N. C. QUAGLIA ◽  
A. PARISI ◽  
G. LASALANDRA ◽  
...  

Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O26 is an emergent pathotype that has caused an increasing number of sporadic cases and outbreaks of gastroenteritis, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in the United States and Europe. Many cases are associated with the consumption of milk and undercooked or fermented meats. The stx2 strains of VTEC O26 seem to be more likely to cause human infections than isolates expressing only stx1. The isolation and identification of VTEC O26 from foods is labor intensive and time-consuming. We developed a multiplex PCR (M-PCR) assay for the identification and characterization of E. coli O26 VTEC and its detection in raw milk and ground beef. The method is based on the amplification of the wzx, stx1, and stx2 genes for the simultaneous detection of the O26 antigen and verocytotoxin types 1 and 2. This M-PCR assay had a sensitivity of 108 CFU/ml when applied to a bacterial suspension and of 106 CFU/ml or g when applied to both inoculated milk and minced beef samples. This M-PCR assay also was highly specific, and results were consistently negative for negative controls (nonpathogenic E. coli strains, uninoculated milk and beef samples, and samples inoculated with the nontarget microorganisms). This method could be used for the rapid detection of E. coli O26 VTEC from foods and for the rapid identification and characterization of clinical and environmental isolates.


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