ABSTRACT
The developments in the philosophy of the food safety concept have drastically changed our approach to decreasing the incidence of foodborne diseases and preventing food spoilage. The growing interest in the application of biocin-producing bacteria in the manufacturing of foods and the use of terminal decontamination as a means of arresting the growth or survival of pathogens strongly suggest a new epoch in food-safety assurance. The detection methods are simply not sensitive enough to detect the low levels of bacteria responsible for contamination of broiler flocks or egg-laying flocks. Terminal decontamination of raw foods is one of many tools available to reduce the number of pathogens and subsequently also the risk of foodborne diseases. The use of organic acids appears to be the most promising technique for decontamination. Decontamination is a modern development in making food safe. The industry is for a number of reasons not interested in using the principle as a substitute for good manufacturing practice.
