A comparison of the destruction of E. Coli O157:H7 in ground beef using pulsed X-rays and gamma rays

In December 1997, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the irradiation of red meat. Depending on the dose applied, exposure of food to ionizing radiation has been found to be effective in destroying pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and some viruses. This paper discusses experiments conducted at the University of Missouri-Columbia, which compare the effectiveness of pulsed X-rays for destruction of E. Coli O157:H7 in frozen ground beef, and the use of gamma rays from a Cobalt-60 radioisotope. Two different sources were used to irradiate the cultures. The source of X-rays, was a novel, compact, desk top, 220 keV, accelerator provided by the Russian Academy of Sciences. A Cobalt-60 source was made available by the University of Missouri's Nuclear Research Reactor Facilities. The results of the tests indicate that pulsed X-ray sources have the same effect on E. coli O157:H7 as Cobalt-60 in frozen ground beef. The results of the experiment and the dose required for elimination of E. Coli O157:H7 in frozen ground beef are reported.