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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #290315

Title: Ultraviolet light (UV) and UV-ozone interventions reduce shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on contaminated fresh beef

Author
item Kalchayanand, Norasak - Nor
item Bosilevac, Joseph - Mick
item Wheeler, Tommy

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology General Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/2013
Publication Date: 5/19/2013
Citation: Kalchayanand, N., Bosilevac, J.M., Wheeler, T.L. 2013. Ultraviolet light (UV) and UV-ozone interventions reduce shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on contaminated fresh beef. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. Poster No. 1596 p.166.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Although numerous chemical interventions have been implemented and validated to decontaminate meat and meat products during the harvesting process, more novel technologies are under development. UV light ionizing irradiation has been used extensively in pharmaceutical and medical device companies to control microbial contamination. Lately, UV treatment has received attention from the beef processing industry because it is a non-thermal processing technology that does not leave any chemical residues on products. In this study, the ability of UV and UV-ozone to inactivate Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) on surfaces of fresh beef was investigated. Fresh beef tissues were first inoculated with a cocktail mixture of these pathogens to a final concentration of approximately 1.5 x 104 CFU/cm2 each and then subjected to either UV (254 nm) or UV-ozone (~10 ppm ozone) combination for 15 to 75 s. UV irradiation for 75 s resulted in 1.1, 1.2, 1.2, 1.2, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.2 log reduction for STEC O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157:H7, respectively. Treatment with UV-ozone combination for 75 s resulted in an approximate additional 0.2 log reduction. The D values of UV-ozone combination for STEC O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157:H7 were 59.9, 56.5, 67.1, 68.0, 53.2, 59.9, and 59.9 s, respectively. The use of UV or UV-ozone has the potential as an intervention to reduce STEC on surfaces of fresh beef.