Food Protection Trends - October 2008 - 714

consuming milk. It is documented that 2–3 s at 80°C will assure inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (15). Yet another suggestion is that 82°C was about as hot as water could be reticulated without cavitation in the pumps that were used at the time. There appears, therefore, to be no clear scientific basis for the historical international focus on 82°C as a disinfection temperature. In addition, there is clear evidence that on the slaughter floor, momentary exposure to 82°C is not sufficient by itself to ensure that all Gram negative indicators of fecal contamination, such as E. coli, are inactivated. That is, under normal processing conditions, the efficacy of a “dip” into 82°C water will depend on a number of variables. Thermal inertia of the equipment will prevent surfaces from attaining the water temperature until several seconds have elapsed (17). Peel and Simmons (22) showed that immersion of knives into water at 82°C was ineffective in totally removing viable salmonellae from knives, most probably because the knives were dipped only momentarily. It was found (27) that when fats or proteins were present on a stainless steel plate, immersion at 82°C for 10 seconds brought about a reduction of 2.9 log10 (from an initial level of 6.9 log10 CFU/ml minced meat slurry). The authors considered this an unsatisfactory reduction in bacterial contamination. Furthermore, hot water at 82°C was found to affix proteins onto the surface of the equipment (25, 32), leading to possible entrapment of bacteria and to cleaning difficulties. ment should be “cleaned and sanitized by immersion in hot water or alternative method with appropriate frequency during and/or between periods of work.” European Union The 1964 European Commission Council Directive 64/433/EEC required that meat-producing and meat-processing establishments must have facilities for disinfecting tools with hot water supplied at not less than 82°C. In June 2001, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures relating to Public Health (SCVPH) adopted an opinion paper entitled “The cleaning and disinfection of knives in the meat and poultry industry” (9). SCVPH concluded, inter alia, that using water at or above 82°C is not fully effective in the absence of cleaning and that use of water at lower temperatures with lactic acid or other agents can be a satisfactory alternative to the currently approved procedure. The current EU Regulation 853/2004 on the hygiene of foods of animal origin requires that meat production plants have facilities for disinfecting tools with hot water supplied at temperatures not less than 82°C, or an alternative system having an equivalent effect (10). To assist food processors to comply with the EU Regulation, a guidance document has been produced (11). With regard to knives, the guidance document states that: “The objective of the requirement is to ensure that meat is not contaminated through equipment, e.g., knives. This objective can be achieved through different means, such as: Having sterilizing equipment for knives at key places in the slaughterhouses directly accessible by the workers. Such equipment may be the appropriate choice in the bigger slaughterhouses. Sterilizing in a single operation a number of knives sufficient to ensure that clean knives are available throughout the slaughter operations. This solution may be appropriate in low capacity slaughterhouses.” equipment used to dress diseased meat carcasses. While accepting that many meat establishments will continue using 180°F water for this purpose, USDA recognized that others will use different means. Establishments that want to innovate may do so if they can maintain sanitary conditions and prevent adulteration of product. Australia Until 2002, Australian regulations required that facilities for cleaning and sanitizing implements be provided with an adequate supply of hot potable water at a temperature no less than 82°C. The revision of the relevant Australian standard in 2002, carried across to the current requirement, is more flexible. Australian Standard 4696:2007 (1) specifies that facilities be provided with an adequate supply of hot potable water at no less than 82°C or an equivalent method of sanitizing. New Zealand In its industry standards for slaughter and dressing, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority states that all equipment (including knives) that comes into contact with exposed product before inspection shall be rinsed clean after each carcass and must be sterilized regularly (21). The standards state that sterilizing units be provided with water at a minimum temperature of 82°C. South America The world’s largest exporter of beef, Brazil, has 15 establishments listed as eligible to export to the USA (31) and 76 listed by the EU (12). These are required to maintain sanitizer units at 82°C. Establishments in other South American countries, e.g., Uruguay and Argentina, are also listed as eligible to export to the USA and the EU. Current requirements and practices Codex Alimentarius Commission In February 2002, a proposed draft code of hygienic practice for fresh meat (5) was tabled at the Codex Committee on Meat and Poultry Hygiene. That document stated that equipment should be installed that provides hot potable water heated to at least 82°C for the purposes of disinfecting equipment, unless an equivalent sanitation system is available. The final code of practice (6) does not contain reference to a specific temperature, merely stating that the premises should have “hot potable water for effective sanitizing of equipment, or an equivalent sanitation system” and that equip- United States of America In its Final Rule on Sanitation Requirements for Meat and Poultry Establishments (30), date of effect 25 January 2000, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service rescinded, in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 416.3, the previous requirement for use of water at 180°F (82°C) to disinfect utensils and Current knife cleaning practices in Australia Information was gathered on knife disinfection practices from ten plants in April 2002 through visits or telephone interview (20). Six processed beef, one handled smallstock and three were multispecies plants. During visits to five of the plants, flow measurements were taken on a range of their knife and equipment 714 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | OCTOBER 2008

Food Protection Trends - October 2008

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