Inactivation of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy agents in food products by ultra high pressure–temperature treatment

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contamination of the human food chain most likely resulted from nervous system tissue in mechanically recovered meat used in the manufacture of processed meats. The availability of effective decontamination methods for products considered at risk for BSE or other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) would be an attractive safeguard to human health, but neither of the two proven inactivating methods, autoclaving or exposure to strong alkali or bleach, are applicable to foodstuffs. Ultra high pressure–temperature treatment of foods is an effective decontamination method that can reduce the pathogen load while keeping unaltered the nutritional and organoleptic properties of the product. The application of different combinations of high pressure–temperature pulses to meat products ‘spiked’ with the agents of TSEs can reduce the level of infectivity by 103 to 106 mean lethal doses (LD50) per gram of tissue. These data indicate that the high pressure–temperature treatment is a ready-to-use and feasible strategy to reduce the risk of TSEs transmission via contaminated meat products.