Use of low dose e-beam irradiation to reduce E. coli O157:H7, non-O157 (VTEC) E. coli and Salmonella viability on meat surfaces

•Non-O157 VTEC were no more radiation resistant than O157 VTEC.•Salmonella strains were more radiation resistant than VTEC.•Survival of pathogens was not affected by meat surface fat.•Recovery of survivors was not significantly affected by storage at 4 °C.•1 kGy e-beam treatment may be suitable for beef trim decontamination.

This study determined the extent that irradiation of fresh beef surfaces with an absorbed dose of 1 kGy electron (e-) beam irradiation might reduce the viability of mixtures of O157 and non-O157 verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and Salmonella. These were grouped together based on similar resistances to irradiation and inoculated on beef surfaces (outside flat and inside round, top and bottom muscle cuts), and then e-beam irradiated. Salmonella serovars were most resistant to 1 kGy treatment, showing a reduction of ≤ 1.9 log CFU/g. This treatment reduced the viability of two groups of non-O157 E. coli mixtures by ≤ 4.5 and ≤ 3.9 log CFU/g. Log reductions of ≤ 4.0 log CFU/g were observed for E. coli O157:H7 cocktails. Since under normal processing conditions the levels of these pathogens on beef carcasses would be lower than the lethality caused by the treatment used, irradiation at 1 kGy would be expected to eliminate the hazard represented by VTEC E. coli.