TY - JOUR
T1 - Survival of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus during commercial heat treatment of slab bacon and consumer preparation of sliced bacon
AU - Campbell, Jonathan A.
AU - Dickson, James S.
AU - Cordray, Joseph C.
AU - Olson, Dennis
AU - Mendonca, Aubrey F.
AU - Prusa, Kenneth J.
PY - 2014/1
Y1 - 2014/1
N2 - With the knowledge that retail pork products may be contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the risk of consumers contracting a MRSA infection or foodborne illness from processed meats, especially bacon, is uncertain. Therefore, a study was designed to investigate the survival of MRSA during heat treatment of slab bacon at a commercial process and during cooking of sliced bacon at the consumer level. Fresh pork bellies were injected with a curing solution, inoculated, and heat treated to an internal temperature of 52°C. Three commercial brands of sliced bacon with similar "sell by" dates and fat-to-lean ratios were also inoculated and cooked at a temperature of 177°C for 0, 2, and 5 min on each side. Heat-treated slab bacon showed a log reduction of 1.89, which was significant (P < 0.05) compared with an uncooked inoculated control. Cooked sliced bacon had a reduction of viable MRSA cells of >6.5 log CFU/cm2, and there was not a significant brand interaction (P > 0.05).
AB - With the knowledge that retail pork products may be contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the risk of consumers contracting a MRSA infection or foodborne illness from processed meats, especially bacon, is uncertain. Therefore, a study was designed to investigate the survival of MRSA during heat treatment of slab bacon at a commercial process and during cooking of sliced bacon at the consumer level. Fresh pork bellies were injected with a curing solution, inoculated, and heat treated to an internal temperature of 52°C. Three commercial brands of sliced bacon with similar "sell by" dates and fat-to-lean ratios were also inoculated and cooked at a temperature of 177°C for 0, 2, and 5 min on each side. Heat-treated slab bacon showed a log reduction of 1.89, which was significant (P < 0.05) compared with an uncooked inoculated control. Cooked sliced bacon had a reduction of viable MRSA cells of >6.5 log CFU/cm2, and there was not a significant brand interaction (P > 0.05).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892754512&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84892754512&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-13-154
DO - 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-13-154
M3 - Article
C2 - 24406002
AN - SCOPUS:84892754512
SN - 0362-028X
VL - 77
SP - 83
EP - 86
JO - Journal of food protection
JF - Journal of food protection
IS - 1
ER -