An Australian National Survey of the Microbiological Quality of Frozen Boneless Beef and Beef Primal Cuts

Abstract

The fourth national baseline microbiological survey of Australian beef was conducted in 2011, including frozen boneless beef and, for the first time, samples from selected beef primal cuts. Cartons of frozen boneless beef (n = 1,165) sampled at 29 boning (fabrication) plants were found to have a mean total viable count of 2.2 log CFU/g, and the mean count for the 2.1% of samples with detectable Escherichia coli was 1.3 log CFU/g. The mean total viable counts for striploins (longissimus dorsi, n = 572) and outsides (biceps femoris, n = 572) were 1.3 and 1.5 log CFU/cm2 respectively. E. coli isolates were obtained from 10.7 and 25.2% of striploins and outsides, respectively, with mean counts of −0.5 and −0.3 log CFU/cm2 on positive samples. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Campylobacter were not isolated from any primal cut samples, and Salmonella was not isolated from any of the boneless product (E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter were not tested for). Listeria spp. were not detected in any of the boneless product, and one Listeria isolate was obtained on 1 (0.2%) of 572 striploin samples. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 3.4% of boneless beef samples, 7.7% of beef striploins, and 8.4% of beef outsides, with positive samples having mean log counts of 1.9 CFU/g, 0.2 CFU/cm2, and 0.2 CFU/cm2, respectively.