Establishment of minimum operational parameters for a high-volume static chamber steam pasteurization system (SPS 400-SC) for beef carcasses to support HACCP programs.

A static chamber steam pasteurization unit (SPS 400-SC™) was installed in a high-volume commercial beef slaughter facility. The SPS 400-SC consists of a three-phase carcass treatment cycle of water removal, steam pasteurization, and water chilling. Seven chamber temperatures (71.1, 73.9, 76.7, 79.4, 82.2, 85.0, and 87.8°C) were evaluated at the midline area of pre-rigor beef carcasses. For each temperature evaluated, 20 carcass sides were randomly selected and aseptically sampled by tissue excision immediately before and after steam pasteurization to determine total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, generic E. coli, and total coliform populations. The 87.8 and 85.0°C treatment temperatures were highly effective at reducing total aerobic bacterial populations, with log10 reductions of 1.4 and 1.5 CFU/cm2, respectively, from pretreatment mean population levels of 1.7 and 1.9 log10 CFU/cm2. These temperatures also reduced Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, and generic E. coli to undetectable levels (<0...