Determination of the Most Effective Intervention Strategy for Microbiological Reduction on Cattle Hides Prior to Removal

The reduction of E. coli O157:H7 in both pre- and post-harvest areas continues to be a major
goal of the beef industry. It has been demonstrated that cattle hides are the major source of E.
coli O157:H7 contamination in processing plants. The reduction of E. coli O157:H7 on cattle
hides will go a long way in ensuring the safety of the beef supply. <P>
Researchers and beef packers/processors have addressed beef safety concerns by developing a
variety of methods that are now implemented, or are being further developed, to reduce numbers
of bacteria on beef and beef products and improve microbiological safety. These
microbiological decontamination technologies include:
� Animal cleaning;
� Chemical dehairing at slaughter;
� Spot-cleaning of carcasses by knife-trimming or steam/hot water vacuuming; and
� Spraying/washing/rinsing of carcasses before evisceration and/or before chilling, with
water, chemical solutions and/or steam or hot water.
<P> The most commonly used decontamination strategies involve the use of water and steam at
various temperatures and spray pressures. Other decontamination strategies involve the use of
FDA-approved chemicals applied through water-based sprays. <P> The objectives of this study were,
1) to analyze the effectiveness of seven hide wash treatments for reducing E. coli O157:H7 and
Salmonella spp. and 2) assess how each treatment affects the value of the hide as a raw material
for leather manufacture.