ABSTRACT
The methods for bacterial reduction on carcasses that have most commonly been studied include cleaning methods such as water wash, as well as sanitizing by organic acid rinses. Water washing of carcasses after slaughter is a common practice during beef slaughter. Most studies of trimming as a means of reducing bacterial contamination also compare the reductions obtained by water washing. The antimicrobial properties of lipophilic organic acids have been utilized by the food industry for food preservation, and the meat industry also has benefited from these antimicrobial compounds in decontaminating carcasses. Developing steam treatments of beef or sheep carcasses has been attempted by various investigators with no clear success. Chemical dehairing is another treatment that may have potential benefits for the elimination of pathogens on meat carcasses. H. W. Ockerman et al. reported significant reductions in numbers of naturally occurring microorganisms on lamb carcasses by acetic and lactic acids.
