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<ol><LI> Develop computer predictive modeling program for growth of foodborne pathogens during heating process deviations
<UL><LI>Develop predictive models to quantitatively describe the growth of common foodborne pathogens, Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes under constantly varying temperature profiles in a poultry meat system.
<LI>Validate the adequacy of the predictive models under a variety of temperature (fluctuating and non-continuous) profiles simulating thermal (heating) process deviations during cooking of meat products in meat processing establishments. In addition, these models will be converted to easy-to-use programs such as Microsoft Excel as macros or other Windows based programs.</ul>
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<LI> Develop computer predictive modeling program for growth C. perfringens during cooling process deviation, with incorporation of antimicrobial ingredients.
<UL><LI>Develop predictive models to quantitatively describe the growth of Clostridium perfringens under constantly varying temperature profiles in meat and poultry systems with the incorporation of USDA approved antimicrobial ingredients sodium lactate, potassium lactate and buffered sodium citrate.
<LI> Validate the adequacy of the predictive models under a variety of temperature (fluctuating and non-continuous) profiles simulating thermal (cooling) process deviations during cooling of meat products in meat processing establishments. In addition, these models will be converted to easy-to-use programs such as Microsoft Excel as macros or other Windows based programs </ul>
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<LI>Incorporate the developed programs into the International HACCP Alliance accredited workshops ("non-traditional" setting) being conducted by the proposing state extension meat specialists for meat and poultry processors a. Develop tables and fact sheets explaining the use of the models to small and very small meat processors and incorporate them into the HACCP workshops.
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<LI> Incorporate these models into "traditional" class-room setting HACCP courses being administered at the representing land grant universities and the programs will be made available to other universities for incorporation into the HACCP courses.
<UL><LI> Develop two video "modules" for addressing heating and cooling deviations for objective safety evaluation of food safety risks of these deviations. </ul></ol>
The following will be accomplished:
<OL><LI> (a) Development of Predictive Models: Bacterial cultures and inoculation: Five strains each of Salmonella spp., S. aureus, and C. perfringens will be utilized in the study. Product will be inoculated in a bio-containment chamber to attain pathogen levels of 100 CFU or spores/g and mixed to attain a uniform inoculum. Product: An injected poultry system with minimal levels of NaCl (0.25%) and Phosphate (0.2%) will be used. The meat will be placed in the cook-in bags, vacuum packaged. Microbial Enumeration: Samples will be homogenized in sterile 0.1% peptone diluent (PW), serial dilutions will be prepared in PW and plated on selective media. Parameters: Ten different temperatures (10 to 55 C) for each pathogen will be evaluated. In addition, one isothermal and two logarithmic come-up rates will be used. Inoculated product will be brought to the target temperature either instantaneously, at a fast (3 h) or slow (6 h) heating rate. Samples will be taken at zero time (storage temperature, 10 C), when the target temperature is reached, and at ten other times. (b) Validation of the Predictive Models: Bacterial Cultures and Inoculation, Product and Microbial Enumeration methods described earlier will be followed. Parameters: Five logarithmic come-up times will be used to reach 50 C from 10 C, with heating medium temperature of 70 C. Five deviations will be superimposed at equal temperatures (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 C). Samples will be taken at ten times. Parameters will be calculated following methods described by Juneja and Marks (2001).
<P><LI> (a) Development of Predictive Models: Procedures outlined by Juneja et al. (1994) will be followed. Briefly, the spore cocktail (five strain mixture) will be inoculated into meat systems (roast beef, injected pork and injected poultry). Nine treatments [Sodium lactate (1, 2 and 4.8%); Potassium Lactate (1, 2 and 4.8%), Buffered Sodium Citrate (1 and 2%), along with a control] will be evaluated for each meat product (roast beef, injected pork and injected poultry). Parameters will be calculated following procedures described above and mathematical models will be developed. (b) Validation of the Predictive Models: Similar procedures outlined in the earlier section will be utilized, and ten different deviation profiles to represent the industry processed will be evaluated for C. perfringens growth and the goodness of fit will be evaluated.
<P><LI> (a) Develop Tables and Fact Sheets: The software programs for the predictive models will be incorporated into the Workshops as a separate module on "Addressing Process Deviations". Ease of use of these programs will be evaluated based on input from the participants of the workshops.
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<LI>(a) Development of Video Modules Incorporation into HACCP courses at Universities: Predictive models will be incorporated into the HACCP courses taught at Kansas State University as a one-hour lecture on process (heating/cooling) deviations. Two one-hour video modules on Heating and Cooling Process deviations and evaluation of risks of these process deviations will be made. These modules will be made available to the distance learning course on HACCP. </ol>