In January last year, Britain’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board called for lactic acid to be allowed for use on poultry as well as beef carcasses to reduce the high incidence of campylobacter on the surfaces of chicken.
Across Europe campylobacter is the biggest cause of food poisoning, affecting around 9M people each wear. It caused over 403,000 cases of campylobacteriosis in England and Wales in 2010, resulting in over 19,000 hospitalisations and 96 deaths.
The use of lactic acid is not considered to be a substitute for good hygienic slaughtering practices and operating procedures.
‘Absolute rubbish’
Talking to Food Manufacture last year, the FSA’s chief scientist Dr Andrew Wadge refuted suggestions that it would lead to workers cutting food safety corners. “It's absolute rubbish," he said. "Measures such as these build on hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP). They are not there to replace HACCP and good hygiene practices.”
Wadge added: “We know these antimicrobial treatment agents work, we know they can reduce food poisoning, and we also know through the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that they are not introducing any additional risk.” A risk assessment carried out by EFSA in July 2011 confirmed the safety and efficacy of lactic acid.
The EC’s authorisation has been widely welcomed by beef processors and hygiene specialists. “Treating beef with a lactic acid wash has proved effective in reducing foodborne pathogens and will be a valuable additional aspect of HACCP practices in slaughterhouses, providing the European meat industry with another effective solution to fight various foodborne pathogens, including E-coli and salmonella,” said Lonneke van Dijk, category manager for meat at food preservation specialist Purac.