APPLICATION OF CHLORINE TO REDUCE POPULATIONS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ON BEEF

The effects of chlorine against 2 strains of E. coli attached to the surface of beef carcass tissue (BCT) were examined using a model carcass washer. Lean and adipose BCT with approximately 5 log₁₀CFU/cm² E. coli bacteria were spray‐treated with water and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) to give chlorine concentrations of 50, 100, 250, 500, or 800ppm, incubated for 24 h, 4C, and E. coli populations enumerated. Spray treatments with water did significantly (P < 0.05) reduce the bacterial populations of either organism attached to lean or adipose BCT, as compared to populations of controls; however, reductions were less than 0.60 log₁₀CFU/cm². Treatments with 500 and 800 ppm chlorine against E. coli ATCC 25922 attached to BCT resulted in the greatest reductions of 1.22 and 1.28 log₁₀CFU/cm², respectively. At 800 ppm chlorine, E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895 attached to BCT was reduced by 1.04 log₁₀CFU/cm², whereas spray treatments with 50, 100, 250, and 500 ppm chlorine resulted in reductions of < 1 log₁₀CFU/cm². Spray treatments with chlorine from sodium hypochlorite solutions reduced populations of E. coli, however, these reductions were not sufficient to completely inactivate the bacteria attached to red meat.