Inactivation of foodborne pathogens in marinated beef rib by ionizing radiation

Abstract

The efficacy of irradiation treatment for inactivating the pathogens in raw marinated beef rib especially the four pathogens of 14 public health significance including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli was selected and investigated. The commercially available marinated beef rib was purchased, radiation-sterilized, and inoculated at 10(6) cfu/g with each of the four pathogens and stored at two storage conditions: commercial refrigeration (4degreesC) and ail abusive temperature (20degreesC) condition. D-10-values of S. aureus, B. cereus, Salmonella typhimurium and E. coli were 0.663 +/- 0.01, 0.594 +/- 0.05, 0.636 +/- 0.02, and 0.538 +/- 0.01 kGy, respectively. In the commercial refrigerated storage condition, all the four pathogens inoculated were eliminated at 4 kGy but in the temperature-abusive condition at 20degreesC, 5 kGy was not enough to eliminate the pathogens. E. coli was the most radiation-sensitive in the raw marinated beef rib among the pathogens tested. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.