000142 Meat Firms Can Use Additives to Curb ListeriaJanuary 25, 2000Washington - Three flavor enhancers for meat and poultry can be used in larger amounts to curb the growth of dangerous bacteria such as listeria, making the food safer to eat, the U.S. Agriculture Department said. The USDA agreed to let meat and poultry processors add larger amounts of the additives beginning March 20. The three flavor enhancers are sodium diacetate, sodium lactate and potassium lactate. The action came in response to a petition from Armour Swift-Ekrich and Purac America Inc, which want to increase the amounts of flavor enhancers in processed food because the chemicals also inhibit the growth of some pathogens. Armour Swift-Ekrich said its laboratory experiments over ten years showed that increasing sodium diacetate to 0.25% of weight of total formulation slows the growth of listeria in meat and poultry. The USDA also agreed to an increase sought by Purac America for sodium lactate and potassium lactate, which have been shown to reduce the growth of listeria, botulinum and other bacteria. Under the new rules, meat processors can use the two chemicals at up to 4.8%. An outbreak of listeria in hot dogs early last year claimed 21 lives and sickened scores of others. The bacteria is harmless to most healthy adults, but can be deadly for unborn babies, the elderly and others with weak immune systems.
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