HACCP Assistance for Small and Very Small Processors with Development and Validation of Safe Meat Chilling Processes

Further, integration and validation of mathematical chilling models and predictive microbiological models will be completed. Incorporation of the developed programs into the HACCP workshops being conducted by the proposing state extension meat specialists for meat processors.
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Chilling of meat and meat products is critical process for controlling growth of foodborne pathogens. Chilling of meat animal carcasses and/or ready to eat meat products using air chilling is a complex process and is widely used process in the meat industry. Specification and evaluation of rate of temperature decline will be essential in controlling the microbiological hazards such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. to insure food safety. The proposed project will develop mathematical models to accurately describe the chilling temperature profiles of the meat and meat products and integrate them with predictive microbiological models to describe the growth of foodborne pathogens during chilling of meat and meat products. These models can be used to design and develop chilling systems that are intrinsically safe, reducing the burden of foodborne illness in the United States.
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Temperature profiles of carcasses at different locations and different depths of the animal carcasses or meat products will be measured under various chilling conditions. Mathematical models will be developed to describe the meat chilling rates using finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics. These developed models will be validated in processing establishments using real-life scenarios. Microbial predictive models will be developed using growth kinetics derived from microbial growth experiments at different temperatures. These models will be integrated with the mathematical models describing chilling of meat carcasses and products to generate growth of foodborne pathogens on carcasses or meat products. These models will be validated using industry chilling parameters.
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Fact sheets, easy-to-use tables, etc. will be generated to assist the processors on the use of the predictive models. In addition, videos describing the use of the models will be developed and distributed to the processors and regulators.
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The predictive models generated will assist meat processors evaluate safety of their meat chilling processes and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.