University researchers in Georgia and Virginia have used electric current in low voltage bursts to successfully remove heavy concentrations of E. coli O157:H7 from the surface of beef.
Results of their study suggest the shock treatments could be an inexpensive way for meatpackers to reduce the threat of toxic E. coli infections that affect more than 2,500 Americans per year.
The research findings were published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health by Ajit Mahapatra and colleagues from Fort Valley State University and Virginia Tech. The researchers started experimenting with low current electric pulse technology in 2008 in the Agri Engineering program at Fort Valley State. Their experiments were done on a laboratory scale using thin films of electrolyte solutions on beef surfaces, where E. coli bacteria are normally found.
E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef is a particular health concern that was addressed by a federal ban that requires testing for the bacterium. The USDA is in the process of adding six other types of toxic E. coli to the list of adulterants, which would stop even more people from getting sick.
