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update:Aug 30, 2006
Good bacteria fighting bad bacteria
A mixture of "good" lactic acid bacteria kills "bad" bacteria to
reduce foodborne pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli in processed meat and
poultry by as much as 99.99 percent, according to research by Dr Mindy Brashears
of the Texas Tech University.
Dr Brashears developed a treatment mixture, to be sold under the name
Bovamine Meat Cultures, which has passed GRAS (generally recognised as safe)
status review by the US Food
& Drug Administration and is one of few post-production treatments
available to protect meat and poultry during long-term storage without affecting
the flavour or shelf life of the products.
Administered during the processing phase, the treatment works with other
interventions throughout the production chain to provide an added layer of
protection for consumers.
Consumers will be able to look for meat and poultry products labeled to
reflect the lactic acid cultures used to reduce foodborne pathogens.
"Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of
benefits," said Brashears, associate professor and director of the International Centre for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech. "They are used to make
several products like cheese, yogurt and sausages. They have a place in nature
and they compete with other bacteria by producing compounds that kill the other
bacteria. It is not a new concept, but some of the applications we have
developed are unique."
Editor WorldPoultry
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