How Does Rinse & Chill Improve Meat Safety?
There are two probable antimicrobial interventions attributable to Rinse & Chill: • Less initial contamination; and • beef produced via rinse & chill appears to be a less favorable environment for bacterial growth. New data shows that the inhibitory effect on bacteria, in particular on coliforms such as E. coli., is an ongoing, preventative effect, whether on carcass beef, vacuum packaged or in ground beef. The data shows that rinse & chill is an effective antimicrobial intervention that improves the safety of the meat product. Any meat product delivered through any combination of available antimicrobial treatments, if abused and consumed, could result in food borne illness. Always cook meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 160°F.
