New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Prevalence of cold-tolerant clostridia associated with vacuum-packed beef and
lamb stored at abusive and chill temperatures
DOROTA M. BRODA
KAREN M. DE LACY
ROGER L. COOK
R. GRAHAM BELL
Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand
P. O. Box 617
Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract A survey was conducted for the presence of
cold-tolerant (i.e. capable of growing at less than 5deg.C)
Clostridium
spp. in fresh vacuum-packed beef and lamb obtained from nine export meat
plants. Prevalence was determined before and after storage at abusive (15deg.C)
and non-abusive (-1.5deg.C) temperatures, and instances of pack failure by
"blowing" were recorded. Overall, only three samples (6.7%) were positive for
the presence of this group of micro-organisms on initial testing. After storage
at 15deg.C for 8 weeks, cold-tolerant clostridia were found in 51.1% of
samples, all of which had "blown". After storage at -1.5deg.C for 12 weeks,
only 2 samples (4.4%) accumulated significant amounts of gas, and both
contained cold-tolerant clostridia. With vacuum-packed product stored at
15deg.C, approximately 29% of the clostridial strains isolated at 15deg.C were
cold-tolerant species capable of growing at less than 5deg.C. However, none of
them were able to grow at -1.5deg.C. Only psychrophilic and psychrotrophic
clostridia were isolated from fresh samples and those stored at -1.5deg.C.
Keywords cold-tolerant clostridia; "blown pack" spoilage;
chilled storage; vacuum-packed meat
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1997, Vol. 40: 93-98
0028-8233/97/4001-0093 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
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