Bacterial Immobilization on Cattle Hides: A Novel Concept for Reducing Bacterial Contamination of Beef Carcasses

The meat of healthy cattle is sterile and surrounded by two areas that are highly contaminated with microorganisms. These areas are the hide and the intestinal tract. Because cattle hides can carry pathogens, there is a crucial need for technologies to prevent or minimize microbial cross-contamination from these sources. Two potential approaches to decontamination technology are: (1) decontamination of the hide before dressing or (2) decontamination of the carcass after de-hiding. Most decontamination techniques focus on physical removal or killing of microorganisms on the hide, using heat (80 ºC maximum) or a variety of chemical treatments