Food Safety Interventions Information
Click on the links below to access information on interventions available at each stage of the meat production process
| Contents Page | Introduction to Interventions | On Farm | Processing - hide on | Processing - hide off | Chilling | Packaging or Retail |
Ultrasonics
An Emerging Technology
Ultrasound has various applications in the food industry, including killing or inhibiting bacteria. Historically, the effectiveness of low intensity ultrasound in inactivating bacterial cells has been limited by the protection afforded to the organisms by the food environment. Recently, however, systems with high output of ultrasonic energy at low frequency have greatly increased the lethal effect on bacteriaDownload more information on Ultrasonics
| INTERVENTION SUMMARY | |
|---|---|
Location |
Packaging or retail |
Intervention Type |
Surface treatment of packaged product |
Treatment Time |
0.5 to 5 minutes |
Regulations |
No specific restrictions in EU, US or Australia |
Effectiveness |
Not yet clearly identified |
Likely Cost |
High capital outlay |
Value for Money |
Poor at present |
Plant or Process Changes |
A 5-min treatment tank will take up a lot of space in a boning room |
Environmental Impact |
Requires energy |
Occupational Health and Safety |
Major issues with noise production |
Advantages |
Less use of preservatives such as lactates or salt for processed meat products Potential for manufacture of new, minimally processed ready-to-eat meat products Shelf life extension Can be used for treatment of vacuum packs |
Disadvantages or Limitations |
Possible meat colour or texture changes on raw meat products Product must be packaged, eg. Vacuum Packed, as it must be immersed in water to transmit the ultrasonic wave to the product |
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