Comparison of Spoilage Rates in Ground Turkey and Ground Beef

Spoilage rates of ground turkey and ground beef were compared. Clean muscle tissue of the two livestock species were ground in a hygienic manner, providing initial mesotrophic counts (72 h at 25°C) in the range of ca. 10^2-3 CFU/g. Moisture, fat, and protein contents for the ground products were similar. Each ground product was subjected to the following treatments: a) uninoculated control, b) inoculated with a low level of turkey flora, c) inoculated with a high level of turkey flora, d) inoculated with a low level of beef flora, and e) inoculated with a high level of beef flora. Three replicate analyses were performed on the products which were held at 5°C in air-permeable plastic bags. Five subsamples (20-25 g) were taken for each of the five analysis times over 10 d of storage. At completion of storage, bacterial counts varied from 10^3.5 to 10^9.2 CFU/g, with the turkey control group at the lower end of the range. Our findings indicate no significant difference between the spoilage rates of the two ground products, regardless of treatment or origin of species.