Growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella serovars on raw beef, pork, chicken, bratwurst and cured corned beef: implications for HACCP plan critical limits

Small amounts (10-25 g; 6.3-20.8 cm2 inoculated area) of raw ground beef, intact beef, pork and chicken (dark and white meat), and bratwurst and cured corned beef were inoculated with Salmonella serovars and Escherichia coli O157:H7, refrigerated 24 h at 5C, and then held either at 10C (+/- 1C) for up to 8 h or at room temperature (22C +/- 2C) for up to 2 h. Except for a 0.2 log CFU increase in Salmonella serovars in ground beef during 2 h at room temperature, pathogens did not grow. Results of trials with commercial amounts of beef, pork, chicken, ground beef and bratwurst exposed to 10C for 8 h or 22C for 2 h also showed no pathogen growth. Potential critical limits for processing of previously refrigerated raw meat products are exposure temperatures between 5 and 10C for not more than 8 h or between 5 and 22C for not more than 2 h.