[{"keyword":["Bile contamination","Fecal contamination","Pig carcass color","Pig carcass decontamination","Slaughter hygiene","Tubular rail fat contamination"],"abstract":[{"text":"The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a steam-vacuum treatment of the surface of industrially slaughtered pig carcasses after evisceration but before chilling. Both the reduction of the microbial load after contamination with stomach contents, bile, or tubular rail fat and color changes of the carcass surface were investigated. Up to 25 samples per type of contamination were examined within an experimental setting under regular slaughterhouse conditions. The steam-vacuum treatment was applied on the approximately 30 cm long carcass rind between 2 and 8 s. This led to a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.0001) in total bacterial counts of up to 2 log10 levels to values near or below the lower detection limit for all types of contamination considered (stomach contents (−1.2 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001), bile (−1.6 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001) and tubular fat (−2.2 log CFU/cm2) (p < 0.0001). Noncontaminated, nontreated carcasses underwent a color change of ΔE = 2.5 ± 1.2 (ΔE represents the overall color difference, where higher values indicate more noticeable color changes.) during storage of the carcass surface at 2 °C after 24 and 48 h. After steam-vacuum treatment, no statistically significant color differences (24 h storage: 2 s p = 0.7403, 4 s p = 0.8769, 6 s p = 0.1755, 8 s p = 0.0971; 48 h storage: 2 s p = 0.9710, 4 s p = 0.9967, 6 s p = 0.5648, 8 s p = 0.5360) were observed compared to untreated carcasses after storage (ΔE = 3.2 ± 1.3). Stomach content could be completely removed by the steam-vacuum treatment without affecting the color (48 h storage: 2 s p = 0.9704, 4 s p = 1.000, 6 s p = 1.000, 8 s p = 0.9996) compared with the control group. The color changes caused by bile (ΔE = 12.9 ± 4.12; p < 0.0001) and tubular rail fat (ΔE = 8 ± 3; p < 0.0001) could not be reversed completely by vacuum steam treatment. After contamination and decontamination, significant color differences remained in the b* (yellowness) range for bile (p < 0.0001) and in all three color ranges for tubular rail fat (p < 0.0001). Overall, steam-vacuum treatment appears to be a suitable microbiological decontamination method, as the microbial levels after treatment were below the detection limit.","lang":"eng"}],"department":[{"_id":"DEP4028"},{"_id":"DEP4029"}],"user_id":"83781","year":"2025","status":"public","issue":"2","quality_controlled":"1","doi":"10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687","date_updated":"2026-04-15T14:12:52Z","type":"scientific_journal_article","publisher":"IAFP","_id":"13506","article_number":"100687","publication":"Journal of Food Protection","title":"Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces","publication_identifier":{"issn":["0362-028X"],"eissn":["1944-9097"]},"author":[{"first_name":"Janna","full_name":"Tholen, Janna","id":"68430","last_name":"Tholen"},{"first_name":"Alina","full_name":"Kirse, Alina","last_name":"Kirse"},{"first_name":"Henrike","last_name":"von Haacke","full_name":"von Haacke, Henrike"},{"full_name":"Kreienbrock, Lothar","last_name":"Kreienbrock","first_name":"Lothar"},{"first_name":"Lea","last_name":"Strotkötter","full_name":"Strotkötter, Lea"},{"first_name":"Gereon Schulze","full_name":"Althoff, Gereon Schulze","last_name":"Althoff"},{"first_name":"Matthias","id":"12666","last_name":"Upmann","full_name":"Upmann, Matthias"}],"intvolume":"        89","language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"date_created":"2026-03-15T21:28:40Z","volume":89,"publication_status":"published","place":"Des Moines, Iowa ","citation":{"van":"Tholen J, Kirse A, von Haacke H, Kreienbrock L, Strotkötter L, Althoff GS, et al. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. Journal of Food Protection. 2025;89(2).","ama":"Tholen J, Kirse A, von Haacke H, et al. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. <i>Journal of Food Protection</i>. 2025;89(2). doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>","ieee":"J. Tholen <i>et al.</i>, “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces,” <i>Journal of Food Protection</i>, vol. 89, no. 2, Art. no. 100687, 2025, doi: <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>.","chicago":"Tholen, Janna, Alina Kirse, Henrike von Haacke, Lothar Kreienbrock, Lea Strotkötter, Gereon Schulze Althoff, and Matthias Upmann. “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces.” <i>Journal of Food Protection</i> 89, no. 2 (2025). <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>.","bjps":"<b>Tholen J <i>et al.</i></b> (2025) Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. <i>Journal of Food Protection</i> <b>89</b>.","din1505-2-1":"<span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Tholen, Janna</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Kirse, Alina</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">von Haacke, Henrike</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Kreienbrock, Lothar</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Strotkötter, Lea</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Althoff, Gereon Schulze</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Upmann, Matthias</span>: Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. In: <i>Journal of Food Protection</i> Bd. 89. Des Moines, Iowa , IAFP (2025), Nr. 2","havard":"J. Tholen, A. Kirse, H. von Haacke, L. Kreienbrock, L. Strotkötter, G.S. Althoff, M. Upmann, Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces, Journal of Food Protection. 89 (2025).","ufg":"<b>Tholen, Janna u. a.</b>: Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces, in: <i>Journal of Food Protection</i> 89 (2025), H. 2.","chicago-de":"Tholen, Janna, Alina Kirse, Henrike von Haacke, Lothar Kreienbrock, Lea Strotkötter, Gereon Schulze Althoff und Matthias Upmann. 2025. Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. <i>Journal of Food Protection</i> 89, Nr. 2. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>, .","short":"J. Tholen, A. Kirse, H. von Haacke, L. Kreienbrock, L. Strotkötter, G.S. Althoff, M. Upmann, Journal of Food Protection 89 (2025).","mla":"Tholen, Janna, et al. “Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces.” <i>Journal of Food Protection</i>, vol. 89, no. 2, 100687, 2025, <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>.","apa":"Tholen, J., Kirse, A., von Haacke, H., Kreienbrock, L., Strotkötter, L., Althoff, G. S., &#38; Upmann, M. (2025). Steam-Vacuum Treatment of Pig Carcass Surfaces. <i>Journal of Food Protection</i>, <i>89</i>(2), Article 100687. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687\">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100687</a>"}},{"publisher":"IAFP","type":"scientific_journal_article","quality_controlled":"1","external_id":{"isi":["000539418200006"],"pmid":["31821018"]},"date_updated":"2025-06-26T13:42:15Z","doi":"10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238","issue":"1","status":"public","department":[{"_id":"DEP4000"}],"year":"2020","user_id":"83781","page":"45-51","abstract":[{"lang":"eng","text":"Vapor phase hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be utilized to inactivate murine norovirus (MNV), a surrogate of human norovirus, on surface areas. However, vapor phase H2O2 inactivation of virus on fruits and vegetables has not been characterized. In this study, MNV was used to determine whether vaporized H2O2 inactivates virus on surfaces of various fruits and vegetables (apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and strawberries). The effect of vapor phase H2O2 decontamination was investigated with two application systems. Plaque assays were performed after virus recovery from untreated and treated fresh produce to compare the quantity of infective MNV. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to the test results to evaluate the virus titer reductions of treated food samples, with significance set at P <= 0.05. The infective MNV populations were significantly reduced on smooth surfaces by 4.3 log PFU (apples, P < 0.00001) and 4 log PFU or below the detection limit (blueberries, P = 0.0074) by treatment with vapor phase H2O2 (60 min, maximum of 214 ppm of H2O2). Similar treatments of artificially contaminated cucumbers resulted in a virus titer reduction of 1.9 log PFU. Treatment of inoculated strawberries resulted in 0.1and 2.8-log reductions of MNV. However, MNV reduction rates on cucumbers (P = 0.3809) and strawberries (P = 0,7414) were not significant. Triangle tests and color measurements of untreated and treated apples, cucumbers, blueberries, and strawberries revealed no differences in color and consistency after H2O2 treatment. No increase of the H2O2 concentration in treated fruits and vegetables compared with untreated produce was observed. This study reveals for the first time the conditions under which vapor phase H2O2 inactivates MNV on selected fresh fruit and vegetable surfaces."}],"keyword":["Fruits","Inactivation","Murine norovirus","Vapor phase hydrogen peroxide","Vegetables"],"volume":83,"publication_status":"published","pmid":"1","date_created":"2025-04-15T07:59:20Z","language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"citation":{"chicago":"Becker, Barbara, Mareike Dabisch-Ruthe, and Jens Pfannebecker. “Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide.” <i>  Journal of Food Protection </i> 83, no. 1 (2020): 45–51. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>.","din1505-2-1":"<span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Becker, Barbara</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Dabisch-Ruthe, Mareike</span> ; <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps;\">Pfannebecker, Jens</span>: Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide. In: <i>  Journal of food protection </i> Bd. 83. Des Moines, Iowa, IAFP (2020), Nr. 1, S. 45–51","bjps":"<b>Becker B, Dabisch-Ruthe M and Pfannebecker J</b> (2020) Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide. <i>  Journal of food protection </i> <b>83</b>, 45–51.","ama":"Becker B, Dabisch-Ruthe M, Pfannebecker J. Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide. <i>  Journal of food protection </i>. 2020;83(1):45-51. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>","van":"Becker B, Dabisch-Ruthe M, Pfannebecker J. Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide.   Journal of food protection . 2020;83(1):45–51.","ieee":"B. Becker, M. Dabisch-Ruthe, and J. Pfannebecker, “Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide,” <i>  Journal of food protection </i>, vol. 83, no. 1, pp. 45–51, 2020, doi: <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>.","chicago-de":"Becker, Barbara, Mareike Dabisch-Ruthe und Jens Pfannebecker. 2020. Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide. <i>  Journal of food protection </i> 83, Nr. 1: 45–51. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>, .","ufg":"<b>Becker, Barbara/Dabisch-Ruthe, Mareike/Pfannebecker, Jens</b>: Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide, in: <i>  Journal of food protection </i> 83 (2020), H. 1,  S. 45–51.","apa":"Becker, B., Dabisch-Ruthe, M., &#38; Pfannebecker, J. (2020). Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide. <i>  Journal of Food Protection </i>, <i>83</i>(1), 45–51. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>","mla":"Becker, Barbara, et al. “Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide.” <i>  Journal of Food Protection </i>, vol. 83, no. 1, 2020, pp. 45–51, <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238\">https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-238</a>.","short":"B. Becker, M. Dabisch-Ruthe, J. Pfannebecker,   Journal of Food Protection  83 (2020) 45–51.","havard":"B. Becker, M. Dabisch-Ruthe, J. Pfannebecker, Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide,   Journal of Food Protection . 83 (2020) 45–51."},"place":"Des Moines, Iowa","publication_identifier":{"eissn":["1944-9097"],"issn":["0362-028X"]},"author":[{"first_name":"Barbara","full_name":"Becker, Barbara","id":"12640","last_name":"Becker"},{"orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7644-0826","first_name":"Mareike","last_name":"Dabisch-Ruthe","id":"66516","full_name":"Dabisch-Ruthe, Mareike"},{"first_name":"Jens","full_name":"Pfannebecker, Jens","id":"45690","last_name":"Pfannebecker","orcid":"0009-0005-4133-5442"}],"intvolume":"        83","isi":"1","title":"Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide","publication":"  Journal of food protection ","_id":"12787"}]