New techniques cited for improving food safety

The description of 23 new technologies are contained in a table published by the Food Safety and Inspection Service(FSIS), which the US Department of Agriculture unit said it has received for consideration and reviewed, and for whichit has had "no objection" for use by industry. "FSIS believes that increased public and industry awareness of the new technologies being used could further promote their use, by small and very small plants in particular, towards improving the safety of meat, poultry, and eggproducts," the inspection unit stated. FSIS defines "new technology" as new, or new applications of, equipment, substances, methods, processes, or procedures affecting the slaughter of livestock and poultry or processing of meat, poultry, or egg products. Steam vacuums, steam pasteurization, and antimicrobials areamong the advances in food safety technology that have appeared on the market in recent years. Cited in the table are Praxair's carbon dioxide atmosphere stunning method for turkeys, Cargill Meat Solutions'washing system using sodium hydroxide for hide-on-beef carcasses, Braswell Foods' in-packagepasteurization system for liquid egg and egg products, and Frank and Weeda's use of up to 5 percent lactic acids solution on hot beef carcasses. A number of online reprocessing sterilization methods are featured in the roundup, including Zep Manufacturing'sZATS system for poultry plants. The Zep Antimicrobial Treatment System is designed for the online reprocessing of birds that are contaminated with undigested food or feces duringevisceration. The system involves flushing the birds with a re-circulated chlorine dioxide solution. The cavities then are drained and flushed again. The company claims the method helps reduces plant labor expenses by not requiring carcasses to be removed from a line and cleansed byhand. Other such online systems include Tomco Equipment's pathogen management system using hypochlorous acid in poultry establishments,Southeastern Systems's Accutab chlorination reprocessing method, and the SteriFx, Safe Foods' Cecureand Ashland Specialty's PathGuard products. Ashland was also cited for providing a means to reuse of chlorine dioxide as an antimicrobial agent in poultry processing waterfor use with application cabinets, feather rinses, pickers and scalders. The company's chlorinedioxide product is primarily used as an anti-microbial agent in the processing of poultry parts prior to packing or grinding. Ecolab was also cited again for providing the ability to reuse the Inspexx 100 poultry wash and chill process water to reduce microbial contamination on raw edible poultry productsand to wash poultry processing equipment and surfaces. Other technologies highlighted for the poultry sector includes Elmhurst Research's system ofusing water under pressure in a special vessel to kill pathogens in food. Del Ozone was listed for its Delzone Ozone sanitation system. This uses ozone-enriched cold water as an antimicrobial agent for finalrinse. Delzone can also be used for the no-residue surface sanitation of food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces. Wayne Farms was listed for a poultry carcass dip tank using water that has been treated with 20 to 50 ppm of freely available chlorine. Sunny Fresh Foods has developed formula L-49, which uses a new alternative time and temperature pasteurizationmethod, for extended shelf life egg products. The FSIS cited Tyson Fresh Meats for its 2.5 per cent citric acid solution used as an anti-microbial agent in the processing of separated beef heads and associated offal productsprior to chilling. Cargill Meat Solutions has also developed a beef head and tongue cleaning process using a modified "Premium Bird Washer" cabinet system with or without a2 per cent to 2.8 per cent lactic acid spray continuously applied to the brushes. Colorado State University has developed an application of 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent lactic acidfor sanitizing beef sub-primals and trimmings. Agriprocessors was listed for the application of a low pressure 20 ppm sodium hypochlorite spray as an antimicrobial treatment on beef primals cuts after the koshering process. Alkar-RapidPak has developed a surface pasteurization system for frankfurters.

New techniques cited for improving food safety

New processing methods, sanitizers, and washing techniques are some of the technologies highlighted by the federal inspection service as helping businesses meet food safety laws.

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