Control of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 in Large (115 mm) and Intermediate (90 mm) Diameter Lebanon‐style Bologna

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lebanon bologna raw batter was inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 to achieve a level of 7.5 to 7.9 log cfu/g on MacConkey sorbitol agar, 202 agar, and phenol red agar with 1% sorbitol. Batter was stuffed into 115‐ or 90‐mm dia casings and processed individually in a commercial smokehouse. For both diameter products, a 5‐log reduction occurred, regardless of come‐up times to reach specific internal temperatures (I.T.) or media used when the fermentation process consisted of 8 h at an I.T. of 26.7 °C, then 24 h at 37.8 °C I.T., followed by 24 h at 43.3 °C I.T.