Spray-chilling and carcass decontamination systems using lactic and acetic acid

After slaughter, beef carcasses (n = 20) in groups of two were subjected to five treatments (one side only) including intermittent spray-chilling using water, 1% acetic acid or 1% lactic acid, or a single spray treatment with 1% acetic acid or 1% lactic acid. Intermittent spray-chilling consisted of two sprays of 30 s duration per hour for 12h. Single spray treatment consisted of one 30 s spray after entering the chill cooler. The other side of each carcass (control) was air chilled (at 2 to 3°C; air velocity 1 to 3 m/s) only. Five subprimal cuts were taken from each side at 48 h post mortem, vacuum packaged and stored for 28 days at 2°C. Intermittent sprays of sides with acetic or lactic acid resulted in significant (1.8-4.3 log/cm(2)) reductions in aerobic plate count of the strip loin, boneless rib and clod over their controls after these subprimal cuts had been vacuum packaged and stored for 28 days at 2°C in high-oxygen barrier (HOB) film. Lactobacillus spp. were dominant in the microflora of the subprimals from the control and treated sides. When sides were treated with a single sprays of acid, significant reductions in APC were noted only for some cuts of sides treated with lactic acid. After 28 days of storage, there were few significant differences in percentage purge, lean color, and off-odor scores between subprimals from control and treated sides.