Hide-washing improves beef safety
An effective cattle-washing system that is said to reduce levels of pathogens on cattle hides¾thus diminishing the likelihood of pathogens being present on meat that is consumed by humans¾has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Clay Center, Nebraska, USA.
The system could help to reduce pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, which causes nearly 73,000 illnesses and 60 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the hide-washing process, the hide-on carcass is cleaned in a high-pressure water washing cabinet to remove excess organic matter, then sprayed with an antibacterial compound. In field trials, the process significantly reduced the number of samples that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.
USMARC director Mohammad Koohmaraie estimates that approximately 40% of the feedlot-raised beef cattle processed in the US now undergo hide-on carcass-washing treatment.
The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service reported that the incidence of E. coli O157:H7-positive in ground beef samples collected fell by 43.3% after the beef industry began using the washing cabinets.
