Beef pasteurisation ready by summer

By FWi staff

THE final stage of development of a steam pasteurisation system for beef is just about to start and should be completed by the summer.

Provided the results are positive, the technology will be available for wide range use.

The aim of steam pasteurisation is to kill bacteria like E.coli, which may be on the outside of the carcass.

The carcass would first be dried by air blowers and subjected to steam, killing off surface bacteria, and finally sprayed with chilled water to prevent cooking.

The project is being carried out by a consortium comprising the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association. Led by the MLC, the project is partly funded by MAFF.

Also involved are Dawkins International, Dawn Meats, the University of Nottingham, Marks & Spencer, FMC FoodTech (Frigoscandia) and the Meat and Livestock Commission.

The final phase will be a full-scale evaluation of the improvement in food safety that can be obtained from the system, something that has not yet been determined under commercial conditions in Britain.