Effect of Retail Sanitation on the Bacterial Load and Shelf Life of Beef

The influence of retail sanitation on the psychrotrophic bacterial load and subsequent shelf life of rib steaks was investigated under laboratory-simulated retail processing conditions. Steaks were fabricated employing extensively sanitized processing equipment (< 10 bacteria/cm² of surface) or with highly contaminated equipment where bacterial counts approached 10⁶/cm². No significant differences were observed in the initial psychrotrophic bacterial load, bacterial growth rate or in the organoleptic deterioration of steaks processed under these extremes of retail sanitation. These results were confirmed with ground beef fabricated under similar extremes of grinding sanitation. Although the psychrotrophic bacterial load on steaks could not be related to the degree of retail processing sanitation, it was significantly correlated with the level of surface contamination on wholesale ribs. In addition, the extent of steak surface discoloration and overall retail appearance were significantly correlated to the psychrotrophic bacterial load.