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Meta-Analysis
. 2016 Dec;79(12):2196-2210.
doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-16-203.

A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Slaughter and Processing Interventions to Control Non-Typhoidal Salmonella in Beef and Pork

Ian Young  1 , Barbara J Wilhelm  2 , Sarah Cahill  3 , Rei Nakagawa  4 , Patricia Desmarchelier  5 , Andrijana Rajić  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Slaughter and Processing Interventions to Control Non-Typhoidal Salmonella in Beef and Pork

Ian Young et al. J Food Prot. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Pork is one of the major food sources of human salmonellosis worldwide, while beef products have been implicated in numerous foodborne outbreaks. As a result, effective interventions to reduce Salmonella contamination during beef and pork processing are of interest to both regulators and industry. We conducted a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of literature investigating the efficacy of slaughter and processing interventions to control Salmonella in beef and pork. Review steps included: a comprehensive search strategy; relevance screening of abstracts; relevance confirmation of articles; data extraction; risk-of-bias assessment; meta-analysis (where appropriate); and a weight-of-evidence assessment. A total of 191 relevant experimental studies were identified. Two controlled trials indicated that hot water and steam treatments are effective at reducing the prevalence of Salmonella on beef carcasses (relative risk [RR] = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02, 0.58), while four trials found that pre-chill organic acid washes are effective at reducing Salmonella on pork carcasses (RR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.78), with high confidence in the estimates of effect. Four quasi-experimental studies found that post-exsanguination chemical washes were effective to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on cattle hides, with low confidence in the specific estimate of effect; moderate confidence was found for the effect estimates of scalding (RR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.29) and singeing (RR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.52) of pork carcasses. The overall evidence supported enhanced reductions of Salmonella through a multiple-hurdle approach. In conclusion, various slaughter and processing interventions can contribute to reducing Salmonella on beef and pork carcasses, depending on the context of application; an appropriate combination should be selected, validated, and verified by establishment operators within their local conditions.

Keywords: interventions; knowledge synthesis; meat; review; salmonellae.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Systematic review flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the results of controlled trials measuring the efficacy of pre-chill hot water washes and steam pasteurization to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on beef carcasses. RE=random-effects meta-analysis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of the results of controlled trials measuring the efficacy of pre-chill organic acid washes to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on pork carcasses. RE=random-effects meta-analysis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of the results of quasi-experiments measuring the efficacy of scalding to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on pork carcasses. RE=random-effects meta-analysis.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of the results of quasi-experiments measuring the efficacy of singeing to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on pork carcasses. RE=random-effects meta-analysis.
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