Shiga-toxigenic E. coli persistence mechanisms and surface biofilm detection using near-infrared spectroscopy on beef processing facilities

Contamination of beef by Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major problem affecting the North American Beef Industry. Environmental cross-contamination, among other contamination sources, has been shown to play an essential role in meat adulteration. Therefore, this proposal is aiming: a) to determine the capacity of the top-seven STEC to survive and transfer from single and multispecies biofilms onto fresh beef surfaces; b) to test the effectiveness of chemical sanitizers to eliminate wet and dry biofilms (single/multispecies); and c) to test the ability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect biofilms. Multispecies biofilms composed of STEC and bacteria commonly found in meat packing plants will be tested in-vitro, as well as on stainless steel and polyurethane. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Claudia Narvaez Bravo;Tim McAllister

Student:

Kavitha Koti;Yuchen Nan;Ulziituya Batjargal

Partner:

Canadian Cattlemen's Association

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Manitoba