Meat contaminated by Escherichia coli, salmonella or other
microorganisms can be cleaned using a warm lactic acid spray developed by
University of Missouri microbiologists. The scientists found that by heating the
acid they improved its ability to destroy harmful bacteria. In one trial, beef
carcasses were coated with faecal material and then sprayed with heated lactic
acid. More than 99 per cent of the bacteria present were destroyed. Meat
processing companies should find the method easy to adopt because it is so
simple, its developers say.
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