EC to permit use of lactic acid on beef carcasses

The treatment has been approved in the US for several decades.

February 6, 2013

The European Commission (EC) adopted a measure to permit the use of lactic acid on beef carcasses to reduce microbial contamination, according to the American Meat Institute. The measure will take effect February 25. The European Food Safety Authority conducted a risk assessment on the use of lactic acid on beef and arrived at a favorable assessment, published July 26, 2011, of the practice’s safety and efficacy. Lactic acid use has been approved at US meat facilities for several decades, and the EC’s acceptance of the technology will facilitate US-European trade.

Shane O’Halloran joined Food Engineering in November of 2012 as Digital/Online Editor. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2010, and worked as a copy editor and contributor to BleacherReport.com and ShesGameSports.com. He has also written feature articles on a freelance basis for publications in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. His areas of expertise include social media campaigns and website management. Shane produces daily news updates for www.foodengineeringmag.com and Food Engineering’s social media sites. In addition, Shane writes news articles for FE’s TechFlash e-newsletter and Food Engineering’s People and Industry section.