Identify new techniques for controlling pathogens.

The increasing numbers of illnesses associated with foodborne pathogens have renewed concerns about food safety. For this reason, there is a growing need to better control foodborne pathogens.

It's possible to use both conventional and new treatments in combination for controlling pathogens and enhancing product safety and shelf life. However, many key issues still need to be addressed in order to successfully use combination preservation technologies to meet public demands for foods with enhanced safety, freshness and appeal.

Strategies for controlling pathogens include interventions applied to the carcass surface, as well as post-slaughter interventions. Relatively new decontamination treatments include the use of acidified sodium chlorite, peroxyacetic acid, cetylpyridinium chloride and activated lactoferrin. An alternative approach currently being researched involves using low-dose, low-penetration electron beam irradiation on chilled beef carcasses prior to their processing.

Antimicrobials applied to ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products include acetates, diacetates, lactates, glucono-delta-lactone, essential oils, nisin, acidic calcium sulfate with propionic and lactic acid, or combinations of various food-grade chemicals. Alternatively, post-lethality treatments, such as hot water, steam pasteurization and high hydrostatic pressure, are being applied during the pre- or post-packaging of products.

The use of lactic acid bacteria and bacteriophages are additional approaches to guard against pathogens on RTE products. While heat is the most common method in use today for the inactivation of microorganisms, nonthermal physical treatments, such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields and light pulses, can also be used. The ultimate goal is to identify potential new approaches for the safer production of foods.

Further information. Vijay Juneja, Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, USDA- ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Room 2129.3, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].