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“Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of benefits.”

Dr. Mindy Brashears
Dr. Brashears
burger


 


Bacteria: Making Your Food Safer?

Burger connoisseurs, breathe easier. A new layer of protection is now available to help quash the undesirable bacteria that can sometimes lurk in beef and poultry.

Research/Academic Showcase

In a seeming paradox, Texas Tech food safety researcher Dr. Mindy Brashears has stirred together a mix of lactic acid bacteria that nearly eliminates undesirable bacteria such as salmonella and a harmful strain of E. coli without affecting the flavor or shelf life of the products.

The Food and Drug Administration in December said the mixture was safe for beef and poultry products. It will be marketed by Indianapolis-based Nutrition Physiology Corp. under the name Bovamine Meat Cultures ™.

Lactic acid bacteria– a microorganisms similar to those found in yogurt – are used in products like cheese, yogurt and sausages, Brashears says. That is where the concept of using these bacteria to reduce foodborne pathogens came from.

“Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of benefits,” says Brashears, associate professor and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech. “They have a place in nature and they compete with other bacteria by producing compounds that kill the other bacteria.”

Bovamine is one of the few post-production treatments available that protects meat and poultry during long-term storage. Administered during the processing phase, it works with other interventions throughout the beef production chain to provide an added layer of protection for consumers.

The development of the mixture of lactic acid bacteria was led by Dr. Mindy Brashears. Tested under conditions simulating meat storage and transfer to and from supermarkets, the product was found to reduce Salmonella by 99.9 percent and E. coli O157:H7 by 99 percent. In addition, the cultures were put through a battery of both subjective and objective taste tests and were shown to have no impact on flavor.

- Cory Chandler