3-2 |
Irradiation |
D. G. OLSON, SureBeam Corp., 9300 Underwood Ave., Ste. 150, Omaha, NE 68114 Ground beef samples test positive for E. coli O157:H7, on average greater than one per week in the U.S. The cost of recalls can be enormous and, if illnesses or death are involved in the recall, costs will multiply many fold. Irradiation is the only technology that can remove the possibility of a ground beef sample from testing positive and keeping the product in a raw state. Millions of pounds of frozen ground beef has been sold in the marketplace since May, 2000 in retail stores, foodservice, home delivery and mail order. However, the volume of frozen ground beef is small in comparison to refrigerated ground beef. Hence, the impact of reducing illness from the consumption of ground beef would be enhanced if a greater percentage of refrigerated ground beef were irradiated. As the growth of pre-packaged, case-ready ground beef, in a tray or chub form, accelerates, opportunities for irradiating ground beef at the processor level also increase. Ground beef chubs offer challenges due to their cylindrical shape creating a situation where the sides of the chub could absorb very high doses causing quality deterioration to occur. Case-ready trays have atmospheres that are either devoid of oxygen or have enhanced levels of oxygen. In the later situation, ozone could be produced inside the trays causing oxidation of myoglobin. Special processing conditions are needed to attenuate the electron beam to maintain low max/min dose ratios and to prevent discoloration and other quality problems. There are several different opportunities for processors to irradiate ground beef. Each process has advantages and disadvantages related to costs, transportation, handling and efficiencies. These processing opportunities continue to expand in the U.S., making the technology accessible to more ground beef processors, which will increase the volume of irradiated ground beef in the U.S.
Session 3, Impact of non-thermal processing technologies on food quality
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