ACETATE, LACTATE, AND DIACETATE LEVELS IN RTE PROCESSED MEAT & POULTRY PRODUCTS COLLECTED AT RETAIL & CORRELATION WITH OCCURRENCE OF L. MONO

The objectives of this cooperative research project are (1) to quantify the levels of acetate, lactate, and diacetate (organic acids) occurring in retail ready-to-eat (RTE) processed deli meat and poultry products previously analyzed for Listeria monocytogenes to determine the impact of current antimicrobial lethality treatments on occurrence of L. monocytogenes at retail, and (2) to provide data needed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on the uniformity and levels of organic acids occurring in RTE processed meat and poultry products following implementation of the Listeria Rule in late 2003.