Submitted to: Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2016
Publication Date: 1/1/2017
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5589869
Citation: Arthur, T.M., Kalchayanand, N., Agga, G.E., Wheeler, T.L., Koohmaraie, M. 2017. Evaluation of bacteriophage application to cattle in lairage at beef processing plants to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 prevalence on hides and carcasses. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 14(1):17-22. doi:10.1089/fpd.2016.2189.

Interpretive Summary: Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major food safety concern for the beef industry. Several studies have provided evidence that cattle hides are the main source of beef carcass contamination during processing and that reductions in the E. coli O157:H7 load on the hides of cattle entering processing facilities will lead to reductions in carcass contamination. Bacteriophage, viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria, have been proposed as a novel technology to reduce the levels of E. coli O157:H7 on cattle hides. The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercialized application sprayed onto cattle hides prior to entering beef processing plants for the ability to reduce E. coli O157:H7 contamination of cattle hides and carcasses. Cattle either received the hide spray treatment or did not prior to entry into two commercial beef processing plants. The results demonstrated that the treatment of cattle hides with bacteriophage prior to processing did not produce a significant reduction of E. coli O157:H7 on hides or beef carcasses during processing.

Technical Abstract: Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major food safety concern for the beef industry. Several studies have provided evidence that cattle hides are the main source of beef carcass contamination during processing and that reductions in the E. coli O157:H7 load on the hides of cattle entering processing facilities will lead to reductions in carcass contamination. Bacteriophage have been proposed as a novel preharvest antimicrobial intervention to reduce the levels of E. coli O157:H7 on cattle hides. The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercialized phage application administered in the lairage area of commercial beef processing plants for the ability to reduce E. coli O157:H7 contamination of cattle hides and carcasses. Cattle either received phage spray treatment (n=289) or did not (n=301) as they entered the lairage environments in two experiments at two different commercial beef processing plants. Hide and carcass samples were collected and analyzed for E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and concentration. The results obtained from these experiments demonstrated that the treatment of cattle hides with bacteriophage prior to processing did not produce a significant reduction of E. coli O157:H7 on hides or beef carcasses during processing.