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M. B. SOLOMON and A. M. Campbell. Meat Science Research Lab, USDA-ARS, Beltsville Ag. Research Center, Bldg 201, 10300 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD 20705

A pressure-based technology, specifically hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP), has emerged as a potential novel method for improving the safety of meat/food products. HDP is a new technology that has been under development for instantaneous tenderization of meat in the raw state. Studies have been performed to investigate the effect of HDP on naturally occurring spoilage microorganisms found in ground beef, whole beef muscle, and whole pork muscle as well as to determine the effect of HDP on Escherichia coli O157:H7 B6914-seeded fresh ground beef. Meat samples (both controls and treated) were enumerated immediately following HDP treatment. For ground beef, whole beef, and whole pork muscle assayed immediately following HDP, there was a 2-3 log reduction in bacterial numbers. For E. coli O157:H7 B6914-seeded ground beef, the organism was not detected in meat samples following HDP. Results suggest that HDP was effective in reducing normal spoilage microorganisms found in beef (ground and whole) and whole pork muscle. Also, after treating ground beef with HDP, E. coli O157:H7 B6914 was not detectable. Thus HDP may be a potential alternative technology for food preservation.