Research/Academic Showcase
Texas Tech University
Bacteria: Making Your Food Safer?
Texas Tech University Professor, Student Earn Fulbright Scholarships
Smith Announces Winners of $1.8 Million Grant Competition
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Study Finds Mercury Exposure Higher in Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans
Alumni Highlights
Texas Tech Alumni Association Announces New Partnerships
Texas Tech Alumni Association Inks Partnership with Kaplan Test Prep
Catching Up With Your Fellow Red Raiders
Reunion 2006... Relive... Rekindle... Reconnect.
Development
Garrison Institute on Aging Hosts Ribbon-Cutting, Health Fair
Athletics
Football Grad Rates among Nation's Best
Filani, Ramirez Named to Big 12 First Team
Texas Tech University Press
New Book Explores Oklahoma's "No Man's Land"
Helpful Links
“Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of benefits.”
Dr. Mindy Brashears
Bacteria: Making Your Food Safer?
Burger connoisseurs, breathe easier. A new layer of protection is now available to help quash the undesirable bacteria that can sometimes lurk in beef and poultry.
Research/Academic Showcase
In a seeming paradox, Texas Tech food safety researcher Dr. Mindy Brashears has stirred together a mix of lactic acid bacteria that nearly eliminates undesirable bacteria such as salmonella and a harmful strain of E. coli without affecting the flavor or shelf life of the products.
The Food and Drug Administration in December said the mixture was safe for beef and poultry products. It will be marketed by Indianapolis-based Nutrition Physiology Corp. under the name Bovamine Meat Cultures ™.
Lactic acid bacteria– a microorganisms similar to those found in yogurt – are used in products like cheese, yogurt and sausages, Brashears says. That is where the concept of using these bacteria to reduce foodborne pathogens came from.
“Lactic acid bacteria are considered good bacteria in that they have a lot of benefits,” says Brashears, associate professor and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech. “They have a place in nature and they compete with other bacteria by producing compounds that kill the other bacteria.”
Bovamine is one of the few post-production treatments available that protects meat and poultry during long-term storage. Administered during the processing phase, it works with other interventions throughout the beef production chain to provide an added layer of protection for consumers.
The development of the mixture of lactic acid bacteria was led by Dr. Mindy Brashears. Tested under conditions simulating meat storage and transfer to and from supermarkets, the product was found to reduce Salmonella by 99.9 percent and E. coli O157:H7 by 99 percent. In addition, the cultures were put through a battery of both subjective and objective taste tests and were shown to have no impact on flavor.