EFFICACIES OF ACETIC, LACTIC AND TWO MIXED ACIDS IN REDUCING NUMBER OF BACTERIA ON SURFACE OF LEARN MEAT

ABSTRACT This study on sanitizing beef surfaces was designed to evaluate effects of mixtures of acetic, lactic, citric and ascorbic acids with individual solutions of acetic and lactic acids. Acetic acid (3%), lactic acid (3%), MA1 (2% acetic, 1% lactic, 0.25% citric and 0.1% L‐ascorbic acids) and MA2 (2% lactic, 1% acetic, 0.25% citric and 0.1% L‐ascorbic acids) solutions were applied to beef core samples of muscle inoculated with bacteria. Experimental variables were type, concentration and temperature of acid solutions and type of microorganisms. Overall, an increase in either acid concentration or treatment temperature decreased numbers of residual viable bacteria. Lactic acid solution was the most effective against S. typhimurium with a reduction of 2 log10 at 70°C. For enterobacteria, acetic, lactic and MA2 solutions at 70°C resulted in a 1.5 log10 reduction. MA2 was the most effective acid solution at both 45 and 70°C, whereas, lactic acid and the MA2 mixture did not differ in effectiveness at 20°C.