- In a comparison study of microbial interventions, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno found that a combination of ultraviolet (UV) light and bacteriophages was most effective in reducing Salmonella populations in ground beef.
- The researchers analyzed the comparative effectiveness of organic acids, bacteriophages and UV light, individually and combined. Highlights of the study’s findings include:
- Certain organic acids do not reduce Salmonella in ground meat.
- Bacteriophage and UV light individual applications reduced Salmonella in ground beef by 1 log.
- Combined applications of bacteriophages and UV light reduced Salmonella by 2 log.
- Combined applications of Bacteriophages and UV light improve Salmonella control in ground beef.
- The study suggests that the combined application of UV and bacteriophages may be an effective measure to be used in industry settings to improve Salmonella control in ground beef.