Contamination Revealed by Indicator Microorganism Levels during Veal Processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1341-1347 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
RONG WANG ◽  
BRANDON E. LUEDTKE ◽  
TOMMY L. WHEELER ◽  
MOHAMMAD KOOHMARAIE

ABSTRACT During site visits of veal processors, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has reported processing deficiencies that likely contribute to increased levels of veal contamination. Here, we report the results of measuring aerobic plate count bacteria (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms (CF), and Escherichia coli during eight sample collections at five veal processors to assess contamination during the harvest of bob veal and formula-fed veal before (n = 5 plants) and after (n = 3 plants) changes to interventions and processing practices. Hides of veal calves at each plant had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 6.02 to 8.07, 2.95 to 5.24, 3.28 to 5.83, and 3.08 to 5.59, respectively. Preintervention carcasses had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 3.08 to 5.22, 1.16 to 3.47, 0.21 to 3.06, and −0.07 to 3.10, respectively, before and 2.72 to 4.50, 0.99 to 2.76, 0.69 to 2.26, and 0.33 to 2.12, respectively, after changes were made to improve sanitary dressing procedures. Final veal carcasses had mean log CFU/100 cm2 APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli of 0.36 to 2.84, −0.21 to 1.59, −0.23 to 1.59, and −0.38 to 1.45 before and 0.44 to 2.64, −0.16 to 1.33, −0.42 to 1.20, and −0.48 to 1.09 after changes were made to improve carcass-directed interventions. Whereas the improved dressing procedures resulted in improved carcass cleanliness, the changes to carcass-directed interventions were less successful, and veal processors are urged to use techniques that ensure uniform and consistent delivery of antimicrobials to carcasses. Analysis of results comparing bob veal to formula-fed veal found bob veal hides, preintervention carcasses, and final carcasses to have increased (P < 0.05) APC, Enterobacteriaceae, CF, and E. coli (with the exception of hide Enterobacteriaceae; P > 0.05) relative to formula fed veal. When both veal categories were harvested at the same plant on the same day, similar results were observed. Since identification by FSIS, the control of contamination during veal processing has started to improve, but challenges still persist.

2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
PINA M. FRATAMICO ◽  
JAMIE L. WASILENKO ◽  
BRADLEY GARMAN ◽  
DANIEL R. DeMARCO ◽  
STEPHEN VARKEY ◽  
...  

The “top-six” non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) most frequently associated with outbreaks and cases of foodborne illnesses have been declared as adulterants in beef by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Regulatory testing in beef began in June 2012. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the DuPont BAX System method for detecting these top six STEC strains and strains of E. coli O157:H7. For STEC, the BAX System real-time STEC suite was evaluated, including a screening assay for the stx and eae virulence genes and two panel assays to identify the target serogroups: panel 1 detects O26, O111, and O121, and panel 2 detects O45, O103, O145. For E. coli O157:H7, the BAX System real-time PCR assay for this specific serotype was used. Sensitivity of each assay for the PCR targets was ≥1.23 × 103 CFU/ml in pure culture. Each assay was 100% inclusive for the strains tested (20 to 50 per assay), and no cross-reactivity with closely related strains was observed in any of the assays. The performance of the BAX System methods was compared with that of the FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) methods for detection of the top six STEC and E. coli O157:H7 strains in ground beef and beef trim. Generally, results of the BAX System method were similar to those of the MLG methods for detecting non-O157 STEC and E. coli O157:H7. Reducing or eliminating novobiocin in modified tryptic soy broth (mTSB) may improve the detection of STEC O111 strains; one beef trim sample inoculated with STEC O111 produced a negative result when enriched in mTSB with 8 mg/liter novobiocin but was positive when enriched in mTSB without novobiocin. The results of this study indicate the feasibility of deploying a panel of real-time PCR assay configurations for the detection and monitoring of the top six STEC and E. coli O157:H7 strains in beef. The approach could easily be adapted for additional multiplex assays should regulations expand to include other O serogroups or virulence genes.


2001 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 752-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvette M Henry ◽  
Nandini Natrajan ◽  
Wendy F Lauer

Abstract A method for detection of Escherichia coli O157 in beef and poultry is presented. The method is antibody-based and uses a patented antibody-specific metal-plating procedure for the detection of E. coli O157 in enriched meat samples. Both raw ground beef and raw ground poultry were tested as matrixes for the organism. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 98 and 90%, respectively. The accuracy of the assay was 96%. Overall, the method agreement between the E. coli O157 Detex assay and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety Inspection Service method was 96%. Sample temperature upon loading of the apparatus was critical to the observed false-positive rate of the system.


2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. ALGINO ◽  
G. A. BADTRAM ◽  
B. H. INGHAM ◽  
S. C. INGHAM

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expressed concern over Salmonella prevalence on pork carcasses. Our objectives were to survey the prevalence of Salmonella on pork carcasses in very small Wisconsin abattoirs, and identify processing conditions and indicator bacteria levels associated with reduced Salmonella prevalence. During April to July 2007, sponge samples were obtained from 181 pork carcasses at 10 Wisconsin abattoirs before carcass washing (carcass half A), and after washing and chilling and before fabrication (carcass half B). Each sample was categorized by whether the carcass was skinned, by wash-water temperature (7 to 43°C), and the duration (1 or 2 days), temperature, and percent relative humidity of chilling. Sponge samples were analyzed qualitatively for Salmonella and quantitatively for Escherichia coli, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and aerobic plate count (APC). Salmonella prevalences on skinned and unskinned prewash carcasses were 11.7 and 8.3%, respectively. Corresponding values for chilled carcasses were 32.0 and 19.5% for 1-day chilled carcasses, and 11.4 and 14.7% for 2-day chilled carcasses. Lower Salmonella prevalence on prewash carcasses was significantly related to lower prewash carcass APC levels (odds ratio = 7.8 per change of 1.0 log CFU/cm2), while lower Salmonella prevalence on chilled carcasses was significantly related to 2-day chilling (odds ratio = 5.2), and chilled-carcass levels of coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and APC (odds ratio = 1.5 to 1.9 per change of 1.0 log CFU/cm2). Salmonella prevalence on chilled pork carcasses in very small Wisconsin plants could be reduced by chilling carcasses 2 days before fabrication and improving carcass-handling hygiene.


2014 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 1592-1600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis H Stumpf ◽  
Weidong Zhao ◽  
Brian Bullard ◽  
Christine Ammons ◽  
Karl I Devlin ◽  
...  

Abstract The Crystal Diagnostics MultiPath System™ provides rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157 in fresh raw ground beef, raw beef trim, and spinach. The Crystal Diagnostics system combines patented Liquid Crystal technology with antibody-coated paramagnetic microspheres to selectively capture and detect E. coli O157 in food matrixes. This is the only liquid crystal-based biosensor commercially available for the detection of pathogens. The Crystal Diagnostics system expeditiously provides the sensitivity and accuracy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM) methods for detecting as low as one CFU of E. coli O157 per 375 g of raw ground beef and raw beef trim, or 200 g of raw spinach. An internal inclusivity validation demonstrated detection of all 50 tested strains of E. coli O157. The internal and independent laboratory tests demonstrate that the method is rapid and sensitive for detecting of E. coli O157 in fresh raw ground beef, beef trim, and spinach.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
S Islam ◽  
N Tanjila ◽  
MF Begum

The present investigation has been carried out to assess the microbial safety and pathogenic potentialities of enterobacteria in poultry feeds. From the results it was observed that total aerobic plate count of poultry feeds samples were recorded as 2.8 × 105 to 5.8 × 109 cfu/g and 100% samples contained ≥106 cfu/g while the highest mean of cfu was counted as log10 8.797/gm. Large number of coliforms were recorded in different poultry feed samples and the ranges of cfu were counted as 1.2 × 104 to 5.2 × 107/g while average 75% samples were contaminated with coliform bacteria with ≥104 cfu/g and the highest mean of cfu was counted as log10 6.103/g. The ranges of cfu of Escherichia coli were 1.03 × 102 to 1.09 × 105/g and 70% samples contained ≥102 cfu/g while the highest mean of cfu was counted as log10 4.493/gm. But the ranges of cfu of total Salmonella sp. were recorded as 1.02 × 101 to 5.25 × 104/g and 50% samples contained ≥102 cfu/g and the highest mean of cfu was counted as log10 3.665/g. Total 29 enterobacterial isolates were isolated from the feed by using selected media. On the basis of morphological characteristics and biochemical test results the isolates were identified as Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Klebsiella sp., Citrobacter sp., Proteus sp., Enterobacter sp. and Escherichia coli. These isolates were tested on blood agar medium and only seven isolates showed positive β-hemolytic activity.In virulence efficacy test, only hemolytic positive isolates were ingested to chicken and observed that E. coli (SGE-1), Klebsiella sp. (SSE-6) and Salmonella sp. (JSS-9) isolates were highly toxic because the experimental chickens were died after 3 days of ingestion of the bacteria, two isolates showed loose motion symptom after 15 days while other isolates showed little sickness. All the selected isolates showed positive hem-agglutination reactivity in poultry RBC. The results indicate that the poultry feeds were highly contaminated with pathogenic enterobacteria which are risk to public health. J. bio-sci. 28: 59-68, 2020


1984 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 394-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. LILLARD ◽  
N. A. COX ◽  
J. S. BAILEY ◽  
J. E. THOMSON

Five brands of media (BBL, Difco, Gibco, Oxoid and Scott) were evaluated for enumerating microorganisms by the aerobic plate count and by Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and coliform counts, and for determining Salmonella incidence. Microbiological evaluations were done on raw chickens, raw beef and raw shrimp, except that Salmonella incidence was not determined on shrimp samples. There were statistically significant differences in total plate counts (with chicken, beef and shrimp), Enterobacteriaceae counts (with shrimp) coliforms (with chicken) and E. coli counts (with chicken) by the five brands of media, but these differences were too small to be of practical significance. It was concluded that no differences of practical significance were found among the five brands of media.


1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 780-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
TONG ZHAO ◽  
MICHAEL P. DOYLE

The fate of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 was determined in three different lots of commercial mayonnaise, including four different samples from a lot implicated in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection. The initial pH of the products ranged from 3.6 to 3.9. Products were inoculated with 6.5 × 103 E. coli O157:H7/g and incubated at 5 or 20°C. Escherichia coli O157:H7 did not grow at either temperature but survived for 34 to 55 days at 5°C and for 8 to 21 days at 20°C, depending on the lot. Survival was greatest in real mayonnaise purchased at retail among six mayonnaise samples which included a reduced calorie mayonnaise. Escherichia coli O157:H7 populations decreased between 2- and 100-fold by 3 weeks at 5°C, and between 10- and 1,000-fold by 7 days at 20°C. There was little or no change in pH (<0.1 unit), aerobic plate count, mold and yeast count or Lactobacillus count (< 1 log10 CFU/g) for the duration of the study. Commercial mayonnaise manufactured under good manufacturing practices is not a public health concern. Abusive handling of mayonnaise resulting in cross-contamination with E. coli O157:H7-contaminated food or contamination by an infected foodhandler is the principal basis for concern.


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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
RONG WANG ◽  
BRANDON E. LUEDTKE ◽  
SUSANNE HINKLEY ◽  
TOMMY L. WHEELER ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are Shiga toxin–producing E. coli associated with the most severe forms of foodborne illnesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service has identified a higher percentage of non-O157 EHEC compared with E. coli O157:H7–positive samples collected from veal trimmings than from products produced from other cattle slaughter classes. Therefore samples were collected from hides and preevisceration carcasses at five veal processors to assess E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 EHEC contamination during bob veal and formula-fed veal dressing procedures. E. coli O157:H7 prevalence was measured by culture isolation and found to be on 20.3% of hides and 6.7% of carcasses. In contrast, a non-O157 EHEC molecular screening assay identified 90.3% of hides and 68.2% of carcasses as positive. Only carcass samples were taken forward to culture confirmation and 38.7% yielded one or more non-O157 EHEC isolates. The recovery of an EHEC varied by plant and sample collection date; values ranged from 2.1 to 87.8% among plants and from 4.2 to 64.2% within the same plant. Three plants were resampled after changes were made to sanitary dressing procedures. Between the two collection times at the three plants, hide-to-carcass transfer of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 EHEC was significantly reduced. All adulterant EHEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) were isolated from veal carcasses as well as four other potentially pathogenic serogroups (O5, O84, O118, and O177). Bob veal was found to have a greater culture prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and greater positive molecular screens for non-O157 EHEC than formula-fed veal (P < 0.05), but the percentage of culture-confirmed non-O157 EHEC was not different (P > 0.05) between the two types of calves. EHEC-O26, -O111, and -O121 were found more often in bob veal (P < 0.05), whereas EHEC-O103 was found more often in formula-fed veal (P < 0.05).


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangjin Jung ◽  
Christopher L. Rupert ◽  
Benjamin Chapman ◽  
Anna C. S. Porto Fett ◽  
John B. Luchansky

ABSTRACT In total, 115 marinade samples (58 fresh marinades and 57 spent marinades) were collected over 12 months from specialty retailers (four individual stores) near Raleigh, NC. These marinades were screened for total mesophilic aerobic plate count (M-APC), total psychrotrophic aerobic plate count (P-APC), and Enterobacteriaceae. These marinades were also screened for the seven regulated serogroups of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli. Stores A and B used immersion to marinade raw beef cuts, whereas stores C-1 and C-2 used vacuum tumbling. In general, marinade temperatures at the stores ranged from 1.8 to 6.6°C, and beef cuts were marinated from a few minutes to up to 3 days. Regardless of the process used to marinade meat, levels of M-APC and P-APC in fresh marinades ranged from 3.4 to 4.7 and 1.4 to 1.8 log CFU/mL, respectively, whereas Enterobacteriaceae were not detected in any fresh marinades, even after enrichment. However, levels of M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae in spent marinades collected from stores C-1 and C-2 (ca. 3.6 to 7.1 log CFU/mL) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with levels of these same types of bacteria enumerated from spent marinades collected at stores A and B (ca. ≤0.7 to 4.9 log CFU/mL). None of the 115 marinade samples tested positive for Shiga toxin–producing E. coli by using a BAX system real-time PCR assay. No significant (P > 0.05) association was observed between microbial levels (i.e., M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae) and the temperature or duration of the marination process. Levels of M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae in spent marinades were significantly affected by the marination method (P < 0.05), with levels, in general, being higher in marinades used for tumbling. Thus, retailers must continue to keep marinade solutions and meat at a safe temperature (i.e., ≤4°C) and to properly and frequently sanitize the equipment and environment in both the processing area and deli case.


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