Experiments in Sanitizing Beef With Sodium Hypochlorite

Abstract

Beef plate meat was sprayed with sodium hypochlorite (pH 6.0) from two sources, commercial and electroytically generated. Variables studied in two experiments were rate of flow of sanitizer, line pressure, speed of movement of meat through the sprays, and method and time of sanitization. Hypochlorite sprays reduced microbial counts significantly more than did water applied under the same conditions, but type of hypochlorite was unimportant. Maximum reductions in counts made immediately after sanitization approximated 97 and 93% as measured by swab and core sampling methods, respectively. Sprays were most effective when delivered in a single passage over meat at a rate of 2 rather than 10 cm/sec or in about seven successive passages at 10 cm/sec. Samples collected by coring and swabbing estimated microbial populations different from each other when the samples were taken after sanitized meat had been stored at 3 C for 48 h. Based on our findings we recommend the coring method.