Salmonella Spp. in Lymph Nodes of Fed and Cull Cattle: Relative Assessment of (Pre-Harvest) Risk to Ground Beef

<p>Salmonella is a significant concern to the beef industry as ground beef products have been implicated in a number of outbreaks. Various interventions have been implemented and proven effective to remove Salmonella on carcass surfaces. Despite the success of carcass surface interventions, however, FSIS testing results indicate little reduction of Salmonella contamination in ground beef during the past decade. These findings imply other potential sources of ground beef contamination, such as the lymph nodes. Recent studies indicate that lymph nodes (LN) may be an important source of Salmonella contamination in ground beef. Evaluating the relative contribution of Salmonella contamination from beef carcass surface or lymph nodes through risk analysis is beneficial in prioritizing control measures targeted at Salmonella contamination based on the currently available data. We developed a stochastic simulation model covering the pre‐ to post‐harvest stages to assess the relative contribution of lymph node as compared with carcass surface, to Salmonella in ground beef, and the impact of various pre‐ and post‐harvest interventions. We also performed scenario analysis to evaluate different levels of effectiveness for pre‐and post‐harvest interventions impacting the Salmonella load in ground beef.</p>