Efficacies of Three Sanitizers Under Six Conditions of Application to Surfaces of Beef

Efficacies and optimum application conditions of three sanitizers (chlorine, 200–250 ppm; acetic acid, 4.0%; and quaternary ammonium, 3.78 g/liter) were determined. Variables were three rates of flow of sanitizer (1.7, 3.4 and 6.8 liters/min), washed and unwashed meat, warm (38°C) and cold meat (3.3°C), and two pressures of sanitizer application (3.5 and 14.0 kg/cm 2 ). Results were averaged over other variables providing the following data for individual variables. Acetic acid gave a high initial average decrease in counts (−1.47 log), and counts decreased (−1.79 log) up to 48 hr after sanitization. Chlorinated solution caused an initial mean difference of −0.31 log and a difference after 48 hr of 0.53. The quaternary ammonium compound produced differences of −0.79 and −0.03 log in immediate and 48‐hr counts. Acetic acid and hypochlorite were nonselective, but the quaternary sanitizer allowed more oxidase positive, nonfermentative bacteria to survive.