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 cm(2) 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 O15: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.