Survival of Campylobacter jejuni on vacuum or carbon dioxide packaged primal beef cuts stored at-1.5 °C

The ability of two Campylobacter jejuni strains (MOO3, a cattle isolate, and MOOS, a sheep isolate) to survive on chilled, preservatively packaged primal beef cuts was examined. Each of the strains was inoculated separately (10(5) cfa g(-1)) onto 500 g beef steaks, packaged under vacuum or 100% carbon dioxide, and stored, with uninoculated controls, for 41 days at -1.5 degreesC. Bacterial numbers were determined at 0, 1, 3, 6, 13, 20, 27, 34 and 41 days by dilution, plating on both Columbia Sheep Blood Agar and Campylobacter Blood-Free Selective Agar and incubation at 42 degreesC for 48 h under microaerophilic conditions. In addition, an aerobic count on all samples was determined by dilution, plating on Plate Count Agar and incubation at 25 degreesC for 72 h. No significant changes in numbers of the C jejuni strains or aerobic bacteria occurred during storage at -1.5 degreesC on steaks packaged under either vacuum or carbon dioxide. The ability of these pathogens to survive standard preservative packaging conditions is different from that reported in the literature and therefore a cause for concern. Strict hygienic practice or the implementation of decontamination technologies are recommended as mechanisms to assure safety of meat with respect to this pathogen. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.