Ozone Generation Technology (Bio-Safe) Compared to Lactic Acid Beef Carcasses and Trim Using Natural Microbiota and Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 Surrogate Enumeration
Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of an aqueous 16 ozone intervention and a lactic acid
solution on natural microbiota of variety meats in a commercial 17 beef processing plant. EZ-Reachâ„¢ swabs were used to collect 100 cm2 area samples before and after 18 ozone and lactic acid intervention application for three different offal (head, heart, and liver). Each 19 repetition included 54 samples per variety meat and antimicrobial for a total of 162 samples per 20 repetition. Enumeration of total aerobic bacteria (APC) and Escherichia coli (EC) were performed on 21 each sample. Microbial counts for both microorganisms evaluated were significantly reduced (P < 22 0.001) after lactic acid immersion (2-5%) and ozone intervention for all variety meats with exception 23 of ozone intervention in EC counts in heart samples. APC after lactic acid intervention were reduced 24 on average by 1.73, 1.66, and 1.50 Log CFU/sample in head, heart, and liver, respectively; while after 25 ozone intervention, counts were reduced on average by 1.66, 0.52 and 1.20 Log CFU/sample. EC 26 counts after lactic acid intervention were reduced on average by 0.96, 0.79, and 1.00 Log CFU/sam-27 ple in head, heart, and liver, respectively, while after ozone intervention, counts were reduced on 28 average by 0.75, 0.62 and 1.25 Log CFU/sample. The aqueous ozone antimicrobial scheme proved 29 to be a promising intervention for the in-plant reduction of indicator levels in variety meats, specif-30 ically heads, hearts, and liver.