Study finds differences between beef, pork microbial contamination during processing
A new study found that microbial contamination of beef and pork produced at the same meat processing facility differed significantly, despite similar bacterial loads on incoming chilled carcasses and the use of the same processing equipment and sanitation procedures. The findings suggested that equipment surfaces were major contributors to microbial contamination during meat fabrication, highlighting the potential need for species-specific cleaning and sanitation strategies.
The study, published in Food Research International, was conducted by researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, and the University of Lethbridge.