Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/06—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B4/08—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of chemicals or treatment with chemicals before or during cooling, e.g. in the form of an ice coating or frozen block
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/10—Coating with a protective layer; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/14—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
  • A23B4/16—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/14—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
  • A23B4/18—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12 in the form of liquids or solids
  • A23B4/24—Inorganic compounds

Definitions

• Pseudomonads comprise only a minor portion of the initial contaminating population.
• This population is extremely diverse, and species of Acinetobacter, Moraxella, Flavobacterium, and Aeromonas may be present in substantial numbers (See Jay & Shelef, Food Technol., 22:186 [1978]), in addition to members of the Enterobacteriace.
• Acinetobacter, Moraxella, Flavobacterium, and Aeromonas may be present in substantial numbers (See Jay & Shelef, Food Technol., 22:186 [1978]), in addition to members of the Enterobacteriace.
• nonproteoloytic Pseudomonads In the course of early spoilage at refrigerated temperatures, most of these species are displaced by nonproteoloytic Pseudomonads. Off-odors characteristic of spoilage are detected when this sub-population grows to a level in excess of 10 7 -10 8 organism per square inch of meat surface.
• chlorinated contact disinfectants A second major problem with such use of chlorinated contact disinfectants is reaction of the agent with meat components to produce chloro-organic derivatives such as chloro-substituted lipids, and oxidative products. These chemical derivatives may pose a health hazard, especially the class of halomethanes (known to be carcinogenic) formed by reaction of bactericidal levels of hypochlorous acid with humic or other organic substances. Reaction of chlorine dioxide at bactericidal concentrations with meat components results in low but detectable levels of organic chlorine, as noted in Cunningham & Lawrence (J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem., 62:482 [1979]).
• a principal object of the present invention is to provide a process which suppresses prespoilage proliferation of microorganisms on freshly slaughtered meat surfaces.
• a further object is to disable generae of bacteria whose transient growth on meat may promote development of the dominant spoilage populations without completely destroying meat microflora.
• a still further object is to provide a process for bacteria control of fresh meat which minimizes by-products formed by chemical reaction between the treating agent and the carcass surface.
• aqueous solutions of chlorine dioxide are applied to meat surfaces immediately post-slaughter, and intermittently during subsequent chilling.
• the chlorine dioxide is generated on site with conventional apparatus and formed into solution with potable water at a concentration of 0.5 to 4.5 ppm (mg/l), preferably about 1.0 to 4.0 ppm, prior to appplication to meat.
• the solution so formed is applied to meat surfaces during chilling, as hereinafter more fully described.
• the solution may be applied as a carcass wash on the kill-floor upon dehiding.
• sanitizing agents are applied as an intermittent spray during chilling as disclosed in U.S. patent No.
• any method of applying the chlorine dioxide solution will be effective provided there is substantial contact between fresh solution and the meat during the course of 18 to 24 hour chill post-slaughter.
• Such alternative methods include, but are not limited to, dipping or misting continuously into the atmosphere at a constant low rate.
• Treatment of meat with 0.5 to 4.0 ppm chlorine dioxide is especially effective in avoiding proliferation of surface bacteria when applied intermittently for such intervals and in such volume as prescribed by Interim Chlorination Guidelines of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
• chlorine dioxide solution may be instituted during prolonged storage at remote times post-slaughter to avoid renewed proliferation of bacteria, as may occur upon partial warming of the meat prior to or coincident with boning, breaking, packaging, or shipping operations.
• the animal carcass surface immediately post-slaughter and upon dehiding is contaminated by a diverse, mixed population of bacteria ranging in numbers from less than 100 organisms per square inch up to greater than 10 6 organisms per square inch. Applicant has discovered that an early event in the development of surface spoilage is an apparent sudden, rapid proliferation of organisms in one or more bacterial sub-populations following a latent period of approximately 24 hours during which growth is minimal.
• a bloom is defined as an increase in bacterial numbers at any selected meat surface site tvo. square inches in area, of at least 1.0 log 10 , utilizing the assay as hereinafter more fully described in the Examples.
• a partial bloom is defined herein as 0.5 to 1.0 log 10 similar increase.
• Applicant has further discovered that application to meat surfaces of about 0.5 to 4.0 ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide, as hereinabove set forth, is sufficient to substantially suppress blooms in spoilage generae of bacteria and in other species which may promote or potentiate their development. Such concentrations are substantially sub-bactericidal.
• a bactericidal solution should be effective to kill at least about 85-90 percent of contaminating bacteria, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,021,585. That patent shows chlorine dioxide is so bactericidal at concentrations minimally 5.0 ppm.
• Sterile aluminum templates each having a 2.0 square inch aperture were tag-pinned at randomly selected sites on beef carcass surfaces.
• Carcass halves were divided into chlorine dioxide treated and untreated control groups, with templates being affixed at corresponding positions on each treated and untreated carcass half.
• CFU colony forming units
• the efficiency of the swab procedure was determined as follows: sterile aluminum templates were affixed to carcass surfaces and their apertures swabbed as hereinabove described. Immediately thereupon, the outer 5.0 mm of carcass tissue inscribed by template apertures was asceptically excised, and homogenized for 2 minutes in 25.0 ml sterile 0.1% peptone. Serial dilutions of the homogenate in 0.1% peptone were plated on Plate Count Agar.
• Swab efficiency in percent is calculated by dividing the number of total bacteria (CFU) recovered from the swab by the sum of that number and the total number of bacteria present in the homogenate (CFU), and multiplying by 100.
• CFU total bacteria
• average swab efficiencies were 38 percent; that is, 38 percent of initial contaminating bacteria were removed by the swab. Only a very few swab efficiency values were as low as 25 percent or as high as 75 percent. In analyzing and interpreting results, let a equal the number of contaminating organisms actually present on any particular 2.0 square inch area of meat surface.
• the number of organisms removed on a first swab is 0.38 a, leaving a residual population of 0.62 a bacteria. Assuming no growth or other increase in bacterial numbers over the interval between the first and second swab, a second swab will remove 38 percent of those bacteria remaining, or 0.38 (0.62 a) organisms.
• a bloom in surface bacteria is defined as 1.0 log 10 apparent increase in bacterial numbers, and a partial bloom as 0.5-1.0 log 10 such increase, utilizing this assay.
• Table 1 summarizes representative data for carcass halves, divided into chlorine dioxide treated and untreated groups, and assayed at zero time and at three days post-slaughter, according to the technique hereinabove set forth.
• Chlorine dioxide solutions were applied to treated carcass halves in a typical, conventional intermittent spray cycle. Spray was directed downwardly onto carcass halves from overhead spray nozzles in 1 minute pulses at 15 minute intervals during the first 6.5 hours of carcass chill, for a total exposure time of 26 minutes.
• Table 1 The data of Table 1 indicate that treatment of meat carcasses with aqueous chlorine dioxide in a concentratin of 0.8 to 4.5 ppm effectively suppresses blooms in surface bacteria for at least three days post-slaughter. To validate this hypothesis, a chi-squared test was performed utilizing this data and other similar data (not shown) deemed redundant for illustrative purposes. Table 2 hereof summarizes this combined data.
• Treatment of meat at a concentration of 0.5 ppm is also effective in suppressing bacterial blooms; however, there are a higher number of partial blooms at this concentration than at 0.8 ppm.
• concentrations substantially less than 0.5 ppm effectiveness rapidly diminishes, and blooms may become more frequent than on untreated control carcasses because of increased water activity (A w ) at the meat surface.
• a w water activity
• slight bacterial growth may occur at some carcass sites treated with 0.5 to 4.5 chlorine dioxide, such growth is significantly less than the increases characteristic of prespoilage blooms and partial blooms.
• Plate Count Agar is a nutritionally rich medium which supports the growth of most aerobic bacteria.
• MacConkey Agar contains bile salts and crystal violet which inhibit the growth of Gram positive organisms and many other non-spoilage species; however, it is specifically permissive for Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium, and most other Gram negative generae associated with meat spoilage. It is apparent from the data of Table 1 hereinabove that spoilage organisms comprise a minor portion of the initial bacterial load on carcass surfaces. These data further indicate that an apparent bloom in total counts cannot always be accounted for solely by a corresponding bloom in the spoilage classes of bacteria. However, the data of Parts B-F demonstrate that bloom suppression in all sub-populations of bacteria, and specifically in generae associated with spoilage, is achieved utilizing sub-bactericidal concentrations of chlorine dioxide.
• Table 3 summarizes the results of tests identical in format to those of Example I hereof, except that a second swab specimen was removed immediately at the end of the chill cycle approximately 20 hours post-slaughter.
• Bactericidal reductions in the meat slaughtering field ideally should be upwardly 90 percent, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,585 (Svoboda, et al.).
• chlorine dioxide in a control concentration of 5.0 ppm results in reductions in total bacterial counts (counts on Plate Count Agar) exceeding 1 log 10 .
• the flasks were incubated at room temperature with gentle agitation (100 rpm) in a rotary shaker. At various times after the addition of the chlorinating agent, aliquots were withdrawn and assayed conventionally for the appropriate residual oxychlorine specie remaining in the supernatant solution. In these tests, disappearance of the chlorinating agent is equated with the formation of total reaction products plus the gaseous escape of the agent into the headspace of the flask.
• Ordinary animal fat contains no greater than approximately 2.0 percent unsaturated fatty acids having at least one double bond. Addition to the fat portion of 8 percent (w/w) linolenic acid (containing three double bonds) thus enriches the double bond content of the fat layer. Comparison of the data of column 1 with that of column 3 shows that double bond enrichment greatly enhances the reaction
• Part B of Table 4 the procedure of Part A was modified as follows: Layered fat was first exposed to saturating amounts of hypochlorous acid or chlorine dioxide by reacting the fat with an excess of the respective agent. The flask was then rinsed thoroughly with distilled water, and a second solution (15 ml) containing the same or different chlorinating agent was introduced. The concentration of the second such solution was monitored over a time course (as in the experiment of Part A) . The results indicate that pre-reacting the fat with excess hypochlorous acid effectively inhibits further reaction by chlorine dioxide (compare data of column 1 with control, column 5, and column 3, fat not pre-reacted). This suggests that hypochlorous acid attacks substantially all of the fat substrate moieties otherwise available to chlorine dioxide, thereby depleting them.
• Levels of total reaction products formed at sub-bactericidal concentrations of chlorine dioxide will be less than the levels formed at higher bactericidal concentrations.
• Use of chlorine dioxide at sub-bactericidal concentrations, and instead of hypochlorous acid, will thus minimize residues of organic reaction by-products in freshly slaughtered sanitized meat.

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• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
• Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)

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• 1981
  • 1981-04-22 WO PCT/US1981/000524 patent/WO1981003110A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1981-04-22 EP EP19810901253 patent/EP0050652A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1981-04-27 CA CA000376354A patent/CA1145197A/en not_active Expired

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