In a comparison study of microbial interventions, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno found that a combination of ultraviolet (UV) light and bacteriophages was most effective in reducing Salmonella populations in ground beef.

The researchers analyzed the comparative effectiveness of organic acids, bacteriophages and UV light, individually and combined. Highlights of the study’s findings include:

• Certain organic acids do not reduce Salmonella in ground meat.

• Bacteriophage and UV light individual applications reduced Salmonella in ground beef by 1 log.

• Combined applications of bacteriophages and UV light reduced Salmonella by 2 log.

• Combined applications of Bacteriophages and UV light improve Salmonella control in ground beef.

The study suggests that the combined application of UV and bacteriophages may be an effective measure to be used in industry settings to improve Salmonella control in ground beef.