New Foodborne Pathogen Treatment

Texas Tech researcher Dr. Mindy Brashears has developed a treatment shown to reduce foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in processed beef and poultry.

Written by Cory Chandler

A Scientific Paradox

LUBBOCK – In a seeming paradox, a mixture of "good" lactic acid bacteria kills "bad" bacteria to reduce foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in processed beef and poultry by as much as 99.99 percent.

The mixture, to be sold under the name Bovamine Meat Cultures ™, has passed GRAS (or Generally Recognized as Safe) status review by the FDA and is one of few post-production treatments available to protect meat and poultry during long-term storage without affecting the flavor or shelf life of the products. Read the FDA’s GRAS Notice for Brashears' treatment.

Added Protection for Consumers

Dr. Mindy Brashears works in her lab at Texas Tech's International Center for Food Industry Excellence.

Administered during the processing phase, Bovamine works with other interventions throughout the beef production chain to provide an added layer of protection for consumers.

Consumers will be able to look for meat and poultry products labeled to reflect the lactic acid cultures used to reduce foodborne pathogens.

The development of the mixture of lactic acid bacteria was led by Dr. Mindy Brashears, associate professor and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech.

Brashears' research was published in the Journal of Food Protection, the leading publication in the field of food microbiology.

“Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of benefits,” Brashears says. “They are used to make several products like cheese, yogurt and sausages. They have a place in nature and they compete with other bacteria by producing compounds that kill the other bacteria. It is not a new concept, but some of the applications we have developed are unique.”

Hamburger is highly susceptible to the E. coli O157:H7 pathogen, a virulent form of bacteria that can cause diarrhea and kidney failure.

The treatment was developed through Texas Tech University and is available through Indianapolis-based Nutrition Physiology Corp. Research was funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, the Texas Beef Council and Nutrition Physiology Corp.

A Big Investment

America’s beef producers have invested more than $22 million since 1993 in beef safety research and development of methods aimed at reducing foodborne bacteria.

"Each sector of the beef production chain has developed and implemented best practices aimed at reducing foodborne bacteria and this lactic acid mixture is another great example,” says Mike Engler, Ph.D., Joint Beef Safety Research Committee chairman and Texas beef producer.

Interdisciplinary Research: The International Center for Food Industry Excellence

A collaboration of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Human Sciences, the International Center for Food Industry Excellence partners scientists with food industry experts.

This team-oriented research produces innovations and technology development to enhance food production from farm to dinner table. Among other things, center research makes food safer, improves its nutritional value and determines consumer acceptance of new products. It also drives new technologies into the marketplace that make food production more efficient.