Bacteriological quality of hot boned primal cuts from electrically stimulated beef carcasses
Kotula, A.W.; Emswiler Rose, B.S.
Journal of Food Science 46(2):
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1147
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1981.tb04888.x
Accession: 004809853
The objective of this study was to determine bacterial numbers on primal cuts from hot and cold-boned beef carcass sides and to determine the influence of USA Grade and electrical stimulation of the carcass on the incidence of bacteria. Ten boneless primal cuts were removed from each of 10 beef carcass sides 1 or 48 h after animal slaughter. The primal cuts included the brisket, clod, chuck roll, ribeye, striploin, tenderloin, top sirloin, knuckle, inside round and gooseneck. The primal cuts were sampled for aerobic (APC (aerobic plate counts) 5, 20 and 35.degree. C) and coliform bacteria at time of removal from the side and after 20 days' vacuum packaged storage at 2.degree. C. The psychrotrophic bacteria enumerated at 5.degree. C were more numerous (P < 0.05) on the primals from the hot-boned sides than from the cold-boned sides before storage but not after 20 days' storage at 2.degree. C. The nesotrophic and psychrotrophic bacteria enumerated at 20.degree. C and the mesotrophic bacteria enumerated at 35.degree. C were more numerous on the hot-boned primals than on the cold boned primals before and after storage (P < 0.05). The magnitude of the difference, on some primals, was > 1 log. Coliform bacteria were not influenced (P < 0.05) by hot boning before or after storage. Storage of the primal cuts resulted in some profuse growth of the coliforms. Neither USA grade nor electrical stimulation had any apparent influence on the incidence or growth of aerobic bacteria.