New steps to make Irish beef safer are being introduced with a steam pasteurisation unit, the first of its kind in Europe, at a Co Tipperary meat plant.
Yesterday Dr Patrick Wall, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, welcomed the method being tested at the AIBP plant in Nenagh and hoped other meat processors would follow suit. In the process beef passes through the pasteurisation machine for 12 seconds, exposed to steam at 90 degrees which kills germs on the surface. The meat does not cook and the meat's texture is not damaged.
Contamination of meat with E.coli 0157 emerged in Ireland in 1997, resulting in one death. An E.coli 0157 outbreak in Scotland in November 1996 resulted in 501 cases of contamination and 21 E.coli-related deaths.
After the Scottish outbreak it was clear the meat industry had to provide additional consumer protection measures, Dr Wall said.
He emphasised the steam pasteurisation initiative was part of "a shared responsibility process" within the meat processing industry, which included the farmer supplying quality meat staff training and high standards of pasteurisation and hygiene.
Dr Wall said the introduction of the process into larger meat factories was extremely important because large-scale production and staff turnover made the risks of contamination greater.
The steam pasteurisation unit involved an initial investment of £300,000 to £500,000. Depending on the analysis of results from tests, it is expected that similar pasteurisation units will be operated in other AIBP plants.