Fate of low temperature and acid-adapted Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes that contaminate lactic acid decontaminated meat during chill storage

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Interventions Applied during Primary Processing to Reduce Microbial Contamination on Pig Carcasses

Interventions from lairage to the chilling stage of the pig slaughter process are important to reduce microbial contamination of carcasses. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of abattoir interventions in reducing aerobic colony count (ACC), Enterobacteriaceae, generic Escherichia coli, and Yersinia spp. on pig carcasses. The database searches spanned a 30 year period from 1990 to 2021. Following a structured, predefined protocol, 22 articles, which were judged as having a low risk of bias, were used for detailed data extraction and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis included data on lairage interventions for live pigs, standard processing procedures for pig carcasses, prechilling interventions, multiple carcass interventions, and carcass chilling. Risk ratios (RRs) for prevalence studies and mean log differences (MDs) for concentration outcomes were calculated using random effects models. The meta-analysis found that scalding under commercial abattoir conditions effectively reduced the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae (RR: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.12, I2 = 87%) and ACC (MD: -2.84, 95% CI: -3.50 to -2.18, I2 = 99%) on pig carcasses. Similarly, significant reductions of these two groups of bacteria on carcasses were also found after singeing (RR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.44, I2 = 90% and MD: -1.95, 95% CI: -2.40 to -1.50, I2 = 96%, respectively). Rectum sealing effectively reduces the prevalence of Y. enterocolitica on pig carcasses (RR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.89, I2 = 0%). Under commercial abattoir conditions, hot water washing significantly reduced ACC (MD: -1.32, 95% CI: -1.93 to -0.71, I2 = 93%) and generic E. coli counts (MD: -1.23, 95% CI: -1.89 to -0.57, I2 = 61%) on pig carcasses. Conventional dry chilling reduced Enterobacteriaceae prevalence on pig carcasses (RR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.48, I2 = 81%). Multiple carcass interventions significantly reduced Enterobacteriaceae prevalence (RR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.23, I2 = 94%) and ACC on carcasses (MD: -2.85, 95% CI: -3.33 to -2.37, I2 = 97%). The results clearly show that standard processing procedures of scalding and singeing and the hazard-based intervention of hot water washing are effective in reducing indicator bacteria on pig carcasses. The prevalence of Y. enterocolitica on pig carcasses was effectively reduced by the standard procedure of rectum sealing; nevertheless, this was the only intervention for Yersinia investigated under commercial conditions. High heterogeneity among studies and trials investigating interventions and overall lack of large, controlled trials conducted under commercial conditions suggest that more in-depth research is needed.

Effects of orange juice pH on survival, urease activity and DNA profiles of Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis stored at 4 degree C

The objective of this study was to determine the survival, growth rate and possible cellular adaptation mechanisms of Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica in orange juice under different pH conditions. Yersinia was inoculated in orange juice with adjusted pH levels of 3.9, 4.0, and 7.0 and stored at 4 C for 3, 24, 72 and 168 hours (h). The inter-and intra-species variation is significant to the pH and time of incubation variables (p<0.05). At 3.9 pH the CFU (colony forming units) count decreased significantly.At pH 3.9 and 4.0, Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis survived for at least 30 days and 15 days, respectively. Yersinia that survived under low pH in orange juice revealed enhanced urease activity within 12 h of incubation. The attachment gene (ail) could not be detected by PCR in Y. enterocolitica from undiluted sample incubated for 24 h or longer. Moreover, the FesI-restriction profile was altered when Y. pseudotuberculosis was stored at pH 4.0 orange juice for 7 days. These results indicate that Yersinia could survive and grow at low pH and the survival mechanisms could also enable the bacteria to survive the stomach pH barrier to cause enteric infection.

Heat and acid tolerance responses of Listeria monocytogenes as affected by sequential exposure to hurdles during growth

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the level and sequence of hurdles, applied during growth, on the subsequent heat and acid tolerances of a 10-strain composite of Listeria monocytogenes. Individual strains were grown in glucose-free tryptic soy broth with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE-G). Then cultures were mixed and inoculated in fresh TSBYE-G (0.5% NaCl, pH 7.42; control), TSBYE-G that was supplemented with 3% NaCl (3.5% NaCl in total), or TSBYE-G with pH adjusted to 6.01 or 5.04 with lactic acid and incubated at 30 degrees C for 24 h. Furthermore, the culture composite was exposed to the following five combinations of double sequential hurdles (12 h in each at 30 degrees C): NaCl then pH 6.01, NaCl then pH 5.04, pH 7.42 then NaCl, pH 5.04 then NaCl, and pH 6.01 then NaCl. The heat and acid tolerances of the culture were assessed at 57 degrees C (for 2 h) and at pH 3.5 (for 7 h), respectively, in TSBYE-G. No significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in thermotolerance were observed among cultures exposed to various stresses. In contrast, the acid resistance followed the order: pH 6.01 = NaCl > NaCl then pH 5.04 > pH 6.01 then NaCl = pH 5.04 > pH 5.04 then NaCl > pH 7.42 then NaCl > control. The results suggest that exposure of L. monocytogenes to NaCl and low pH during growth may not affect its heat (57 degrees C) tolerance, but it may increase its acid (pH 3.5) resistance, depending on the sequence and intensity of the applied stresses.

Effect of single or sequential hot water and lactic acid decontamination treatments on the survival and growth of listeria monocytogenes and spoilage microflora during aerobic storage of fresh beef at 4, 10, and 25 degrees C

The survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes and spoilage microflora during storage of fresh beef subjected to different decontamination treatments was studied. Fresh beef inoculated with a five-strain mixture of L. monocytogenes (5.18 log CFU/cm2) was left untreated (control) or was immersed (30 s) in hot water (HW; 75 degrees C), 2% lactic acid (LA; 55 degrees C), hot water followed by lactic acid (HW-LA), or lactic acid followed by hot water (LA-HW) and then stored aerobically at 4, 10, and 25 degrees C for 25, 17, and 5 days, respectively. Initial populations of L. monocytogenes were reduced by 0.82 (HW), 1.43 (LA), 2.73 (HW-LA), and 2.68 (LA-HW) log CFU/cm2. During storage, the pathogen grew at higher rates in HW than in control samples at all storage temperatures. Acid decontamination treatments (LA. HW-LA, and LA-HW) resulted in a weaker inhibition of L. monocytogenes (P < 0.05) at 25 degrees C than at 4 and 10 degrees C. In general, the order of effectiveness of treatments was HW-LA > LA > LA-HW > HW > control at all storage temperatures tested. In untreated samples, the spoilage microflora was dominated by pseudomonads, while lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and yeasts remained at lower concentrations during storage. Brochothrix thermosphacta was detected periodically in only a limited number of samples. Although decontamination with HW did not affect the above spoilage microbial profile, acid treatments shifted the predominant microflora in the direction of yeasts and gram-positive bacteria (lactic acid bacteria). Overall, the results of the present study indicate that decontamination with LA and combinations of LA and HW could limit growth of L. monocytogenes and inhibit pseudomonads, which are the main spoilage bacteria of fresh beef stored under aerobic conditions. However, to optimize the efficacy of such treatments, they must be applied in the appropriate sequence and followed by effective temperature control.

Acid adaptation does not promote survival or growth of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh beef following acid and nonacid decontamination treatments

The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival and growth of acid-adapted and nonadapted Listeria monocytogenes inoculated onto fresh beef subsequently treated with acid or nonacid solutions. Beef slices (2.5 by 5 by 1 cm) from top rounds were inoculated with acid-adapted or nonadapted L. monocytogenes (4.6 to 5.0 log CFU/cm2) and either left untreated (control) or dipped for 30 s in water at 55 degrees C, water at 75 degrees C, 2% lactic acid at 55 degrees C, or 2% acetic acid at 55 degrees C. The beef slices were vacuum packaged and stored at 4 or 10 degrees C and were analyzed after 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of storage. Dipping in 75 degrees C water, lactic acid, and acetic acid resulted in immediate pathogen reductions of 1.4 to 2.0, 1.8 to 2.6, and 1.4 to 2.4 log CFU/cm2, respectively. After storage at 10 degrees C for 28 days, populations of L. monocytogenes on meat treated with 55 degrees C water increased by ca. 1.6 to 1.8 log CFU/cm2. The pathogen remained at low population levels (1.6 to 2.8 log CFU/cm2) on acid-treated meat, whereas populations on meat treated with 75 degrees C water increased rapidly, reaching levels of 3.6 to 4.6 log CFU/cm2 by day 14. During storage at 4 degrees C, there was no growth of the pathogen for at least 21 days in samples treated with 55 and 75 degrees C water, and periods of no growth were longer for acid-treated samples. There were no differences between acid-adapted and nonadapted organisms across treatments with respect to survival or growth. In conclusion, the dipping of meat inoculated with L. monocytogenes into acid solutions reduced and then inhibited the growth of the pathogen during storage at 4 and 10 degrees C, while dipping in hot water allowed growth despite initial reductions in pathogen contamination. The results of this study indicate a residual activity of acid-based decontamination treatments compared with water-based treatments for refrigerated (4 degrees C) or temperature-abused (10 degrees C) lean beef tissue in vacuum packages, and these results also indicate that this activity may not be counteracted by prior acid adaptation of L. monocytogenes.

Integrating microbial decontamination with organic acids in HACCP programmes for muscle foods: prospects and controversies

A considerable literature reports the antibacterial efficacy of dilute solutions of organic acids (lactic, acetic). With carcasses an overall reduction in surface contaminants of 1.5 log cycles can be expected. Carcass decontamination may not improve the safety of the resultant meat, but laboratory trials confirm that acid decontamination of subprimal and retail cuts is more efficacious. An advantage over many other intervention strategies is that residual antimicrobial activity is demonstrable over extended periods of storage. These studies have also shown that some meatborne pathogens are particularly sensitive to organic acids (i.e., Yersinia enterocolitica) while others are resistant (i.e., E. coli O157:H7). Dilute solutions of organic acids (1 to 3%) are generally without effect on the desirable sensory properties of meat when used as a carcass decontaminant. However, dependent on treatment conditions, lactic and acetic acid can produce adverse sensory changes when applied directly to meat cuts, with irreversible changes in appearance being a frequent occurrence. It is speculated that organic acid decontamination will be implemented in American abattoirs in an effort to meet specified performance standards for pathogen reduction as part of an overall HACCP program. In contrast, the EU advocates that strictly controlled processing hygiene is sufficient to ensure the safety of the product. Additional research is necessary to establish a set of treatment conditions that may permit a practicable reduction in bacterial contamination throughout the processing chain with a measurable effect on safety and storage life, without imposing any change in sensory properties. It will also be necessary to develop standard, objective measures to assess HACCP and the efficacy of decontamination procedures. Without such commercial studies controversy on the practicality of acid decontamination will persist.