Survival of Campylobacter jejuni on beef trimmings during freezing and frozen storage.

AIMS

To investigate the survival of two animal isolates of Campylobacter jejuni on beef trimmings during freezing and frozen storage.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Meat packs inoculated with 10(3) or 10(6) cfu g(-1) of either strain of C. jejuni were frozen to -18 degrees C, and sampled at regular intervals over 112 d storage to determine Campylobacter numbers and sublethal injury. For both strains and inoculation levels the numbers of Campylobacter decreased in the first 7 d of storage by ca. 0.6-2.2 log cfu g(-1) and then remaining constant over the remainder of the storage trial, with neither isolate exhibiting sublethal injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an initially significant decrease in number, these pathogens were able to survive standard freezing conditions in meat, but did not exhibit sublethal injury.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Strict hygiene and/or the implementation of decontamination technologies are recommended as a means to assure the safety of meat with respect to this pathogen.