Validation of a Sequential Hide-On Bob Veal Carcass Antimicrobial Intervention Composed of a Hot Water Wash and Lactic Acid Spray in Combination with Scalding To Control Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Surrogates†.
Scalding of hide-on bob veal carcasses with or without standard scalding chemical agents typically used for hogs, followed by an 82.2°C hot water wash and lactic acid spray (applied at ambient temperature) before chilling, was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in reducing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli surrogate populations. A five-strain cocktail of rifampin-resistant, nonpathogenic E. coli surrogates was used to inoculate hides of veal carcasses immediately after exsanguination (target inoculation level of 7.0 log CFU/100 cm2). For carcasses receiving no scalding treatments, spraying with 82.2°C water as a final wash resulted in a 4.5-log CFU/100 cm2 surrogate reduction, and an additional 1.2-log CFU/100 cm2 reduction was achieved by spraying with 4.5% lactic acid before chilling. Scalding hide-on carcasses in 60°C water (no chemicals added) for 4 min in a traditional hog scalding tank resulted in a 2.1-log CFU/100 cm2 reduction in surrogate levels, and a subsequent preevisceration 82.2°C water wash provided an additional 2.9-log CFU/100 cm2 reduction. Spraying a 4.5% solution of lactic acid onto scalded, hide-on carcasses (after the 82.2°C water wash) resulted in a minimal additional reduction of 0.4 log CFU/100 cm2. Incorporation of scalding chemicals into the scald water resulted in a 4.1-log CFU/100 cm2 reduction (1.9 log CFU/100 cm2 greater than scalding without chemicals) in the surrogate population, and the first 82.2°C wash provided an additional 2.5-log CFU/100 cm2 reduction. Application of antimicrobial interventions did not affect the carcass temperature decline during chilling, the pH decline, or the color characteristics of the ribeye or the flank of the bob veal carcasses.
Microbiological contamination of pig carcasses at different stages of slaughter in two European Union-approved abattoirs.
At sequential steps of slaughter (scalding, dehairing, singeing, polishing, trimming, washing, and chilling), 200 pig carcasses from two abattoirs were examined for total viable bacteria count (TVC) and the presence of Enterobacteriaceae and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CPS) by the wet-dry double-swab technique at the neck, belly, back, and ham. Before scalding, mean TVCs ranged from 5.0 to 6.0 log CFU cm(-2), and Enterobacteriaceae and CPS were detected on all carcasses. At abattoir A, mean TVCs and the percentage of Enterobacteriaceae-positive carcasses were reduced (P < 0.05) after scalding (1.9 log CFU cm(-2) and 12%, respectively), singeing (1.9 log CFU cm(-2) and 66%, respectively), and blast chilling (2.3 log CFU cm(-2) and 17%, respectively) and increased (P < 0.05) after dehairing (3.4 log CFU cm(-2) and 100%, respectively) and polishing (2.9 log CFU cm(-2)). The proportion of CPS-positive samples decreased to < or = 10% after scalding and remained at this level. At abattoir B, mean TVCs and the percentages of Enterobacteriaceae- and CPS-positive carcasses were reduced (P < 0.05) after scalding (2.4 log CFU cm(-2) and 29 and 20%, respectively), polishing (3.7 log CFU cm(-2)), and chilling (2.6 log CFU cm(-2) and 55 and 77%, respectively) and increased (P < 0.05) after the combined dehairing-singeing (4.7 log CFU cm(-2) and 97 and 100%, respectively). Among sites, the neck tended to yield higher levels of contamination from trimming to chilling at both abattoirs (P < 0.05). Consequently, scalding, singeing, and chilling may be integrated in a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system for pig slaughter. As indicated by the higher levels of contamination on carcasses after dehairing-singeing and the following stages at abattoir B, each abattoir should develop its own baseline data and should customize HACCP systems to match process- and site-specific circumstances.
To What Extent Can English-as-a-Second Language Learners Read Economic News Texts?
In decision making in the economic field, an especially important requirement is to rapidly understand news to absorb ever-changing economic situations. Given that most economic news is written in English, the ability to read such information without waiting for a translation is particularly valuable in economics in contrast to other fields. In consideration of this issue, this research investigated the extent to which non-native English speakers are able to read economic news to make decisions accordingly – an issue that has been rarely addressed in previous studies. Using an existing standard dataset as training data, we created a classifier that automatically evaluates the readability of text with high accuracy for English learners. Our assessment of the readability of an economic news corpus revealed that most news texts can be read by intermediate English learners. We also found that in some cases, readability varies considerably depending on the knowledge of certain words specific to the economic field.