This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Provisioner logo Created with Sketch.
Provisioner logo Slice 2 Created with Sketch.
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Provisioner logo Created with Sketch.
Provisioner logo Slice 2 Created with Sketch.
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Supplier News
    • New Consumer Products
  • Profiles
    • Processor Profiles
    • Processor of the Year
    • Plant of the Year
  • Processing
  • Food Safety
  • R&D
    • Ingredients
    • Formulation
  • Sustainability
  • Packaging
  • Regulations
  • More
    • Top 100 Processors
    • Videos
    • Special Reports
    • Commentary
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • Classifieds
    • White Papers
    • Provisioner Store
    • Market Research
  • Magazine
    • The National Provisioner
    • Independent Processor
    • Digital Editions
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Connect
    • eNewsletters
    • Source Book
  • MIHOF
Home » [Video] How heat resistant bacteria forms
Food Safety

[Video] How heat resistant bacteria forms

January 23, 2018
KEYWORDS bacteria
Reprints
No Comments

Editor-in-chief Andy Hanacek spoke with We R Food Safety! consultant Molly Linden about heat resistant bacteria and what the biggest pitfalls are for producers. 

Andy Hanacek: Molly, thanks so much for joining me for a couple minutes here. We wanted to talk a little bit about heat resistant bacteria and the threat of heat resistant bacteria to the meat and poultry industry. Can you give us an assessment on what that threat is, and how heat resistance happens in the bacterial world?

Molly Linden: To begin, heat resistant bacteria occur most often when the bacteria has been treated with heat at cooking temperatures which aren’t high enough inactivate the bacteria. This often happens in cooking times in the industry when you have a slow cook process, and at that time, temperatures aren’t high enough to completely inactivate the bacteria allowing it to survive the cooking process and grow later. This normally happens in the ranges between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, which are common times in the cook period where it needs to come up. If it sits too long, it oftentimes will create heat resistant bacteria. The point at which it’s a threat to the industry right now is that Appendix A has no point in it where it talks about the come-up time and how fast the cooking process has to go from 40 to 140 degrees. At this point, our producers are not informed about the heat resistant bacteria and their potential threat to the industry as well as it’s not in Appendix A, therefore the USDA has blatantly overlooked it. At this point, we are not entirely sure the research has not been done on it that tells us what can happen, how we can inactivate heat resistant bacteria once they become heat resistant, and how do we protect the consumers that might be susceptible to these heat resistant bacteria after they have entered a product. 

Hanacek: What is the mechanism by which they form that heat resistance?

Linden: A lot of bacteria have different mechanisms in order to do it. For example, the most stable of all the heat resistant bacteria are those that form spores. These are bacteria when introduced to heat that does not inactivate them, they can become heat resistant by forming spores. Spores are a dormant state that the bacteria can enter in which their DNA is enveloped in very particular folded proteins which, once interacting with the heat, will not unfold therefore destroy the DNA. These will sit metabolically dormant years at a time, but as soon as the conditions are more viable for them, more able for them to grow, they will immediately come out of their spores forming their original form in which they can grow, reproduce, create toxins, and cause human illness. So these can sit inside spores for a long amount of time after they’re heat resistance. They will come out of their spores and they have the ability then to infect humans with human illness. Now there are other ones that do not form spores like Salmonella and E.coli. They are not as common in their heat resistant form, but at this point, they envelope themselves in different special proteins, enveloping their DNA, creating that heat resistance, which will then be able to cause human illness once they are ingested by humans.

Hanacek: So basically what you are saying is that the bacteria in a sense is that they grow a shell around the DNA that protects them. That’s how they develop this, right?

Linden: Exactly. Especially the spore-forming bacteria, they will be able to envelope their DNA, so it is protected and it can withstand those high temperatures. At this point though, those bacteria are more likely to withstand higher further on in their lifespan and also within the lifespan of the generations that they develop afterwards. So now you are getting into the point of how do you inactivate the heat resistant bacteria that are already in your product. What we know from studies now is that re-cooking it is not simply enough. Those bacteria have already learned to tolerate high temperatures and for long periods of time, and they simply cannot just be retreated with the same amount of heat in order to kill those bacteria. What we are seeing now are that producers would have to re-cook an entire batch of products that have those heat resistant bacteria in them but cook them to much high temperatures and for much more prolonged periods of time to the point where the product that they are creating after re-cooking it isn’t one that meets quality standards. So now you are getting to the point where producers are not only not informed about heat resistant bacteria or what causes it but they also aren’t being able to reprocess each of their batches in order to reduce that bacteria or inactivate those heat resistant bacteria. This leads to many producers just having to throw away product, which is a waste of money and a waste of time, and at that point, how do they ensure that future products won’t also be contaminated with heat resistant bacteria at that point in their process. 

Hanacek: Right, and if their process is creating this situation, who knows what other products are going to have those kind of heat resistant bacteria develop. It makes sense.

Linden: Exactly. That’s why it is so important in Appendix A to have these procedures outlined for them: how they have to come-up on their cook times and how long they can withstand those before you start to create heat resistant bacteria.

Be sure to check out all our videos with We R Food Safety!

Subscribe to The National Provisioner

Related Articles

[Video] How to combat heat resistant bacteria

Study: Organic poultry farms have less drug-resistant bacteria

CPS LED Lighting launches innovative bacteria-resistant Highbay Lighting for food processing industry

Breakdown of how the meat is judged by German Butcher’s Association

Related Products

Independent Processor February 2019 Issue

The National Provisioner September 2019 Issue

Related Events

How to Respond to Foodborne Illness Investigations and the Data Released on Them

Food Plant of the Future: Using Design to Increase Productivity and Drive Down Unit Costs

Related Directories

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers

Heat and Control Inc.

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Connect with The National Provisioner

More Videos

Popular Stories

newsbriefs

Two million pounds of chicken recalled

newsbriefs

JBS USA intends to purchase Pipestone Facility from J&B Group

Collette Kaster, CEO, American Meat Science Association

Q&A with Collette Kaster, CEO, American Meat Science Association

Andy Hanacek Pointing to Fake Meat Tabloid

From the Editor's Desk: 'OK to eat meat' not a new message!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Fact or fiction: Turkey makes you sleepy

The National Provisioner 2019 State of the Industry Report
 
The National Provisioner 2019 Top 100 Meat and Poultry Processors

Events

January 27, 2020

Meat Industry Hall of Fame

Meat Industry Hall of FameThe Meat Industry Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony will recognize the prestigious Class of 2019, on the evening of Jan. 27, 2020, in Atlanta, GA. This Elite Networking Event is co-located with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).
January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Advances in Meat Processing Technology

Advances in Meat Processing Technology

See More Products

The National Provisioner

The National Provisioner December 2019 Cover

December 2019

Check out the December 2019 issue of The National Provisioner, featuring our cover story on chicken processor Bell & Evans, the 2020 Economic Outlook for meat and poultry, and much more.

View More Create Account

Independent Processor

Independent Processor December 2019 Cover

December 2019

Check out the December 2019 issue of Independent Processor, featuring our cover story on the family-run Dayton Meat Products, an exciting culinary trend showcased at CAB's annual conference, and much more.

View More Create Account
  • Proteins
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Chicken
    • Turkey
    • Burgers
    • Sausage
    • Bacon
    • Deli
    • Seafood
    • Lamb / Veal
  • More
    • Want More
    • Partners
    • Food & Beverage Brands
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • List Rental
    • Survey And Sample
    • Privacy Policy
  • Expert Commentary
    • Editors Viewpoint
    • Fight for Food Safety
    • Legislative
  • Advertise With Us
    • The National Provisioner
    • Independent Processor
  • Subscribe

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing