Suppliers Welcome EU Authorization of New Meat Safety Application for Lactic Acid

A measure authorizing the use of lactic acid to reduce microbiological surface contamination on bovine carcasses has been adopted by the European Commission and will enter into force on 25 February 2013. EU hygiene legislation provides the possibility to approve the use of a treatment for surface decontamination of food of animal origin, such as by applying lactic acid.

7 Feb 2013 --- The possibility to use lactic acid should in no way be considered as a substitution for good hygienic slaughtering practices and operating procedures. Indeed, it should be integrated into good hygienic practices and into systems which are already in place, based on risk analysis and critical control points.

This additional tool would help reduce the contamination by the most important pathogens widely found in food borne diseases such as Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) and Salmonella. The measure was preceded by a thorough risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which resulted in a favourable opinion published on 26 July 2011 on the safety and efficacy of lactic acid.

Suppliers Purac, Galactic and Jungbunzlauer welcomed the European Commission's approval this week of the use of lactic acid as a decontaminant for beef carcasses, half carcasses and quarters. Already widely used to reduce microbial surface contamination in the USA for some time, the use of lactic acid for this purpose in beef will be permitted in Europe from 25 February, Purac reported. The decision will boost food safety for consumers, according to the company.

"This week's regulation is great news for the European beef industry," said Lonneke van Dijk, category manager meat at Purac. "Treating beef with a lactic acid wash has proven effective in reducing foodborne pathogens and will be a valuable additional aspect of HACCP practices in slaughterhouses, providing the European meat industry another effective solution to fight various food-borne pathogens, including E-coli and Salmonella. This, in turn, will ensure higher food safety standards and prolong shelf life." The company stressed that the use of lactic acid is an additional tool in the food safety armoury, not a substitute for hygienic practice.
 
Lactic acid and its derivatives have been used as natural antimicrobial agents in many parts of the food industry for years, so have a long history of safe use. Purac's portfolio has formed part of multiple hurdle food safety programmes in the meat industry for several decades, and the company now holds sector expertise and technical insight to help slaughterhouses and processors maximise the safety, shelf life and appeal of their products.
 
The use of lactic acid for surface decontamination in beef slaughterhouses was deemed safe by EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) in 2011.