ABSTRACT
TSP is a non-acid compound commonly used for carcass decontamination, and applications including TSP were patented for poultry decontamination (Bender and Brotsky, 1992). Dickson et al. (1994) obtained reductions of S. Typhimurium, L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 ranging from ca. 0.8 to 1.2 log10/cm
2 by spraying TSP solutions (55°C) on lean beef muscle. On adipose tissue the reductions ranged from 1.2 to 2.5 log10/cm
2. TSP concentration was not a significant factor in bacterial reduction by this chemical and, in general, greater reductions were observed when the temperature of the TSP solution was increased from 25 to 55°C. It is likely that the high pH of the TSP solution (ca. 13) was responsible for the bacterial reductions reported by Dickson et al. (1994). Antimicrobial effect of high-pH solutions on foodborne bacterial pathogens has been reported, and is apparently due to membrane disruption of the cells and an increase in the water solubility of the DNA at high pH (Mendonca et al., 1994).
