Comparative Effect of Different Types of Water used in Immersing Beef on Reducing their Bacterial Contamination
Comparative Effect of Different Types of Water used in Immersing Beef on Reducing their Bacterial Contamination
M.J.Al-Saadi*, Dahfir A. Alobaidi, Jassim E.Q.Al-Musawi
ABSTRACT
Meat manufacturing processes face numerous challenges, particularly the extended periods of preservation that can lead to various detrimental changes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the most effective method of soaking water to reduce bacterial contamination on the surfaces of beef thighs. Forty samples of beef thighs were used, with each sample divided into five sections and assigned to five treatment groups: G1 (no wash), G2 (tap water), G3 (distilled water), G4 (magnetized water), and G5 (ozone water). Each treatment consisted of eight replications, with washing conducted at room temperature (22-25°C) for two durations: three minutes and six minutes. The results showed that meat treated with distilled water (4.11 cfu/g), magnetized water (4.06 cfu/g), and ozone water (3.36 cfu/g) had lower total counts of aerobic bacteria compared to those treated with no wash (4.09 cfu/g) and tap water (4.32 cfu/g). Interestingly, samples treated with ozone water (G5) exhibited significantly lower aerobic bacteria counts (p < 0.05) compared to all other treatments. Furthermore, the study found that longer washing times with tap water increased the degree of contamination. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that using ozonized water and reducing the washing time can effectively decrease the total aerobic bacteria count in meat. Therefore, the use of treated water, especially ozonized water, is highly recommended to mitigate bacterial contamination in beef and to safeguard public health.
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