Protocol
for Evaluating Retained Water
in the Following Single Ingredient Red Meat Product: Steer/Heifer
Carcasses
Note: The following is an example protocol and should
not to be used verbatim. Because each establishment is unique, each
establishment should design their protocol to reflect the individual
characteristics of their operations.
1.0 Purpose Statement
1.1
The purpose of this protocol is to determine the amount of
water absorption and retention in Steer/Heifer carcasses that
is unavoidable while achieving the regulatory pathogen
reduction performance standard for Salmonella (as set forth
in the PR/HACCP regulations – 9 CFR 310.25(b).
2.0 Type of washing and chilling system
2.1
The facility slaughter/dressing line utilizes a final carcass
washer at the end of the dressing procedures. This
is
followed by a carcass rinses that includes the antimicrobial
intervention (*insert example) prior to entry into the carcass
cooler. The carcass cooler is maintained around 34 °F.
3.0 Configuration and modification of the
chiller system
components
3.1
The establishment uses a carcass water spray system in the
carcass cooler to chill carcasses rapidly. The carcass water
spray system consists of intermittent sprays of water during
the carcass cooling process.
4.0 Special features in the chilling process:
4.1 Chlorine is added to the carcass water
spray as an
antimicrobial
intervention at 20-50 PPM. The carcasses
freely drain before
exiting the carcass cooler and prior to
further processing in
the establishment or prior to shipping.
5.0 Variable factors that affect water absorption and
retention
5.1 The final carcass wash cabinet consists of a
number of spray
nozzles at a selected
pressure at selected spray directions by
the establishment. The
final carcass wash water is the normal
ambient water
temperature from the municipality or of the
well water. The number
and size of spray nozzles, direction
of nozzles, water
pressure, and the length of time in the final
wash cabinet may be
changed depending upon the size of the
carcasses, season of
the year, and changes in the dressing
procedures. The
carcasses are in the chiller system (cooler)
usually from 18 to 24
hours. The carcass cooler temperature
is usually maintained
around 34 °F. The temperature of the
water in the carcass
water spray is the normal ambient water
temperature from the
municipality or of the well water. The
frequency and length
of intermittent sprays of water per bay
during the carcass
cooling, the carcass cooler temperature
and the drain time
from the last spray prior to exiting the
cooler may be varied.
6.0 Standards to be met by the chilling system:
6.1
The current FSIS Salmonella pathogen reduction
performance standards, as set forth in the PR/HACCP final
rule, will be met.
7.0 Testing methodology
7.1
Water absorption and retention
7.1.1 Samples will be collected immediately
prior to the final
carcass wash on the slaughter/dressing line to
determine the "green" weight of the carcasses.
7.1.1.1 *(insert number) random carcasses will be
tagged and weighed in *(insert number)
groups of *(insert number) carcasses. The
*(insert number) groups will be distributed
evenly throughout the production period
(beginning, middle, and end) with the
production period being defined as
sanitation to sanitation.
7.1.2 Samples will be collected from carcasses at point
exiting the cooler.
7.1.2.1 The tagged carcasses from 7.1.1.1 will be
weighed immediately prior to further
processing or shipping.
7.1.2.2 These post-cooler weights will be
compared to the pre-final carcass wash
weights to determine the retained water
gained using a mathematical difference
calculation (cooler exit weight minus "green"
weight [pre-final carcass wash weight]) as a
percentage.
7.2 Pathogen
reduction measurement
7.2.1 *(insert number) groups of
*(insert number) carcasses
will be randomly selected post-cooler from the same
lots as those tested in Section 7.1. The *(insert
number) groups will be distributed evenly throughout
the production period (beginning, middle, and end)
with the production period being defined as sanitation
to sanitation.
7.2.1.1 The percent Salmonella
positive rate will
be determined using the post-cooler
carcass swabs Salmonella performance
standard methodology.
7.3
Evaluation of cooler factors
7.3.1 The frequency and length of
intermittent carcass
sprays per cooler bay
7.3.1.1 Three frequency and length of
sprays will be
evaluated.
7.3.1.1.1 Fifteen minute interval: Spray for
1 minute, spray off for 14
minutes.
7.3.1.1.2 Thirty minute interval: spray for
3 minutes, spray off for 27
minutes.
7.3.1.1.3 Sixty minute interval: spray for 3
minutes, spray off for 57
minutes.
7.3.2 The carcass cooler temperature will remain around
34° F.
7.3.3 The drain time from the last carcass spray until
exit
7.3.3.1 Two drain times will be evaluated.
7.3.3.1.1 4 hours after last spray
7.3.3.1.2 6 hours after last spray
7.3.4 Study design
7.3.4.1 A three-by-two factorial table will be
used
to evaluate the effect of these cooler factor
settings on the percent moisture retention
(Section 7.1) and on the pathogen reduction
measurements (Section 7.2).
7.3.4.2
Each of the six cooler setting combinations
will be evaluated for three processing
periods (defined as sanitation to sanitation).
Each processing period will be considered
a replicate.
8.0 Evaluation and Reporting of Data
8.1 The
results achieved from the three replicates per cooler
setting combination will be averaged and reported as the final
result for each cooler setting combination.
8.1.1 Carcass weight differences will be determined
using a
mathematical difference calculation (cooler exit
weight minus "green" weight) for each carcass group
resulting in recorded weight difference results. The
weight difference obtained per carcass group will be
divided by the "green" weight per carcass group to
determine the % moisture retention cooler exit per
group. The results will be averaged to obtain the
estimated average % moisture retention at point of
cooler exit.
8.1.2 The Salmonella data will be reported as
the number
of positive samples/number of samples tested x 100
(% positive).
9.0 Explanation of how the conclusions will be
determined.
9.1
Conclusions will be determined by comparing the baseline
pathogen reduction levels achieved pre-protocol
implementation with the post-protocol implementation
pathogen reduction results. This comparison will be evaluated
according to the specifications detailed in section 6.1.
9.2
The amount of moisture retention that is unavoidable to
achieve the above food safety criteria will be reported.
(*) Each establishment should insert statistically significant and
verifiable information that reflects their unique operations.
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