4. Conclusions
Under the conditions of this study, our results indicate that thermal inactivation of ECOH and non-O157-STEC in undercooked, moisture enhanced, non-intact beef products depends on internal target temperatures, resting time, and pump rates. A 3.5 min resting time or an 18% pump rate result in greater pathogen reduction, especially when beef samples are cooked to 65 °C. The external and internal colors of cooked, moisture enhanced, non-intact beef products are not reliable indicators for food safety, especially if beef products are cooked from a semi-frozen status. These results will be useful for the USDA-FSIS to develop a risk assessment for non-intact beef products. Our results will also be useful to the food service industry for the selection of effective non-intact beef cooking protocols, the development of manufacturing procedures to create moisture enhanced beef products, and safe cooking instructions for consumers.