Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 after Freezing and Thawing in Ground Beef Patties

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Abstract
Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains QA 326, and ATCC 43889,43894, and 43895 after freezing (−20°C, 24 h) and thawing (4°C for 12 h, 23°C for 3 h, or microwave heating of 700 W for 120 s) in ground beef patties was determined by reference most probable number (MPN), hydrophobic grid membrane filter SD-39 agar, and sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMA) spread-plating methods. Populations decreased from 0.62 to 2.52 log10 CFU/g, with the extent varying significantly by strain. Strain QA 326 populations almost always decreased the most, up to 1.87 log10 CFU/g more than the least sensitive strain. Microwave heating was the most lethal thawing treatment for strain QA 326, and 4°C thawing was the most lethal treatment for strain ATCC 43894. Thawing treatments varied in relative lethality for the other two strains. For strain QA 326 (4°C and microwave thaw treatments) and strain ATCC 43889 (4 and 23°C thawing), the enumeration method significantly affected a population decrease. The SD-39 agar method best recove...

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