A descriptive review of the use of organic acids and peracetic acid as a decontaminating strategy for meat

Abstract

Meat can be a pathogen vehicle, and its spoilage contributes to food insecurity. Besides the importance of adopting good hygienic practices to avoid meat contamination, several decontaminating strategies have been studied. This review discusses the mechanisms of action of organic acids and peracetic acid, the factors that affect their efficacy, and compiles information about their microbiological and sensorial effects on meat. Factors that affect their efficacy include the species of microorganisms, the acid‐susceptibility within the same species, the initial contamination degree, the organic acid used and concentration, pH and volume of solutions, methods of application, contact time, steps of a flowchart where the treatment occurred and quantity of applications, site of carcass/meat treated and tissues composition, and combinations with other decontaminating treatments. Inspite of the amount of available data, the log reductions with their standard deviations and the temperature of solutions applied are rarely presented; and several studies lack information on the pH of the solutions. This strategy will be helpful for industries, contributing to enhanced food security and safety. However, studies for in loco validation must be performed before implementing these treatments.

The Effect of the PhoP/PhoQ System on the Regulation of Multi-Stress Adaptation Induced by Acid Stress in Salmonella Typhimurium

“…However, the leftover lactic acid causes the production of wastewater as well as a possible decrease locally in post-slaughter carcasses in pH (reaching an ultimate pH of 5.4), which can result in a mildly acidic pH environment (pH 4. [5][6]. This rather acidic environment could stimulate the development of acid stress protection in pathogens, i.e., to induce acid tolerance response (ATR) [4][5][6][7].…”

“…[5][6]. This rather acidic environment could stimulate the development of acid stress protection in pathogens, i.e., to induce acid tolerance response (ATR) [4][5][6][7]. It needs to be noted that cross-protection against other factors such as high temperature, hypertonicity and oxidation was also revealed [8,9].…”

Control of Salmonella in Chicken Meat by a Phage Cocktail in Combination with Propionic Acid and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

“…During processing at slaughterhouses and processing plants, meat can become contaminated by microflora presented in processing areas and equipment because of unhygienic management. Several methods have been established including chemical methods (organic acids, chloride, phosphate) [7][8][9], physical methods (X-ray, steam, radiation, UV, etc.) [10,11], and natural and synthetic antimicrobials (ionic antimicrobials and bacteriophages) [10,[12][13][14].…”

Bio-Mapping of Microbial Indicators and Pathogen Quantitative Loads in Commercial Broiler Processing Facilities in South America

“…The introduction of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems constituted the beginning of these advancements to add control measures and improve food safety [5]. For instance, many establishments include antimicrobial interventions such as peracetic acid, chlorine, trisodium phosphate, or cetylpyridinium chloride during their processing to reduce the risk of contamination with pathogens [5,13,14]. Chlorine has been used to facilitate decontamination in washes and chillers during evisceration, but in some cases, its efficacy gets compromised with high organic loads and pH levels above 7.0, which rapidly declines the availability of free chlorine [15][16][17].…”

“…Chlorine has been used to facilitate decontamination in washes and chillers during evisceration, but in some cases, its efficacy gets compromised with high organic loads and pH levels above 7.0, which rapidly declines the availability of free chlorine [15][16][17]. Peracetic acid is one of the most common antimicrobials used in processing due to its high efficacy in reducing contamination [13,18,19]. Nevertheless, it has been reported that peracetic acid may potentially cause negative flavor or color changes, resulting in undesirable changes in meat quality [15,18].…”