Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes Risk Assessment for Production and Cooking of Blade Tenderized Beef Steaks

<p>In this study, we intentionally inoculated beef cuts with high levels of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in order to quantify the effect of mechanical tenderization on the translocation of bacteria from the surface of the beef cuts into the interior of the muscle. The levels of contamination used do not reflect levels that are likely to be present. In actual practice, the source point of contamination for these pathogens is at the carcass level and contamination is prevented or reduced through application of numerous processing steps, including validated antimicrobial technologies and enforcement of USDA-FSIS’s zero tolerance policy for physical defects. The potential of contamination is further reduced by the removal of the carcass surface by trimming before mechanical tenderization.</p>