Survival of a five-strain cocktail of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during the 60-day aging period of cheddar cheese made from unpasteurized milk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Standard of Identity for Cheddar cheeses requires pasteurization of the milk, or as an alternative treatment, a minimum 60-day aging at > or =2 degrees C for cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, to reduce the number of viable pathogens that may be present to an acceptable risk. The objective of this study was to investigate the adequacy of the 60-day minimum aging to reduce the numbers of viable pathogens and evaluate milk subpasteurization heat treatment as a process to improve the safety of Cheddar cheeses made from unpasteurized milk. Cheddar cheese was made from unpasteurized milk inoculated with 10(1) to 10(5) CFU/ml of a five-strain cocktail of acid-tolerant Escherichia coli O157:H7. Samples were collected during the cheese manufacturing process. After pressing, the cheese blocks were packaged into plastic bags, vacuum sealed, and aged at 7 degrees C. After 1 week, the cheese blocks were cut into smaller-size uniform pieces and then vacuum sealed in clear plastic pouches. Samples were plated and enumerated for E. coli O157:H7. Populations of E. coli O157:H7 increased during the cheese-making operations. Population of E. coli O157:H7 in cheese aged for 60 and 120 days at 7 degrees C decreased less than 1 and 2 log, respectively. These studies confirm previous reports that show 60-day aging is inadequate to eliminate E. coli O157:H7 during cheese ripening. Subpasteurization heat-treatment runs were conducted at 148 degrees F (64.4 degrees C) for 17.5 s on milk inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 at 10(5) CFU/ml. These heat-treatment runs resulted in a 5-log E. coli O157: H7 reduction.

Acquisition, storage, and review of safety data from a commercial system for high temperature, short time pasteurization.

A high temperature, short time (HTST) pasteurization system was equipped with electronic sensors to determine the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and position of the flow diversion valve. A computer for data acquisition was wired to the sensors to monitor and to record processing conditions related to public health. The processing conditions were stored in safety files on the hard drive of the computer, transferred weekly to a tape drive, and stored. The processing conditions of the HTST system were monitored for 270 d to determine the accuracy and reliability of the data acquisition system. The size of the HTST safety files ranged from 6.2 to 9.1 MB when the sensors were monitored every second. The file size was reduced to < 1.8 MB when the monitoring frequency was increased to every 5 s. To determine accuracy, the temperatures recorded by the data acquisition system were compared with the temperatures recorded by an electronic recorder controller. To determine reliability, changes in the position of the flow diversion valve were examined to identify process deviations and were compared with the event marker on circular charts. The review of the data file by the actual time method was an effective alternative to the electronic recorder controller for monitoring the completeness of data in the safety files. Off-line review to determine reliability required approximately 10 min/d of records.

Automated control and monitoring of thermal processing using high temperature, short time pasteurization.

High temperature, short time pasteurization was used to evaluate a computer-based system for controlling the pasteurization process, acquiring data, and monitoring records. Software was used for the control of hot water temperature, flow rate through the centrifugal timing pump, and diversion of under-processed product. Three types of control strategies were conducted: single loop, cascade, and multivariable. The single loop control strategy showed the most rapid responses to temperature changes, but the temperature response curve was slowest to return to its set point. The cascade control strategy showed slower recoveries to temperature changes, but the temperature response curve was smoother. The multivariable control strategy responded slightly faster than the cascade control strategy, and the temperature response curve was slightly smoother than the cascade control strategy. The multivariable control strategy was able to control the flow diversion valve by the use of a lethality controller. The data acquisition system, used to monitor the data obtained from the high temperature, short-time pasteurization system, was within +/- 0.1 degree C of the temperature recorded by the safety thermal limit recorder. Reliability was determined by examining the changes in the position of the flow diversion valve to identify process deviations and by comparing the changes to the event marker on circular charts. The data acquisition system was an effective alternative for monitoring the completeness of data.

Volumetric flow rate comparisons for water and product on pasteurization systems.

A flow calibration tube system was assembled to determine the volumetric flow rates for water and various dairy products through a holding tube, using three different flow promotion methods. With the homogenizer, the volumetric flow rates of water and reconstituted skim milk were within 1.5% of each other. With the positive displacement pump, the flow rate for reconstituted skim milk increased compared with that for water as the pressure increased or temperature decreased. The largest increase in flow rate was at 310-kPa gauge and 20 degrees C. On a magnetic flow meter system, the volumetric flow rates of water and reconstituted skim milk were within .5% of the flow rate measured from the volume collected in a calibrated tank. The flow rate of whole milk was similar to that of skim milk on the three flow promoters evaluated. Ice milk mix increased the flow rate of the positive displacement pump, but not the homogenizer and magnetic flow meter system.