HENDERSON, Colo. -- Birko, a leader in providing food safety solutions to the protein industry, today announced its Beefxide® intervention has received approval from the USDA for use as an antimicrobial processing aid on beef carcasses, primals, cuts and trim.
Birko received simultaneous approval for its Porkxide™ and Lambxide™ interventions for use as antimicrobial processing aids on pork and lamb products, respectively.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a Letter of No Objection allowing Birko’s antimicrobial interventions to be used as a spray on all carcasses, primals, subprimals, cuts, trim and offal products, as well as unskinned livers, without labeling. These approvals will be included in the next update of the FSIS Directive 7120.1, “Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry and Egg Products.”
Birko’s Beefxide®, Porkxide™ and Lambxide™ interventions are formulated from FDA-approved ingredients and all components of the formulas are GRAS. The products are also suitable for use on products to be labeled as natural or organic.
“We’re tremendously excited about this approval,” said Elis Owens, Ph.D., chemist/microbiologist for Birko. “It will open up new opportunities for Birko and provides meat producers with a new weapon in their food protection arsenal.”
“As next generation antimicrobials, Beefxide®and its sister products take the industry a step beyond the lactic acid that is widely used today,” Owens said. “They offer similar antimicrobial efficacy to lactic acid at a lower use concentration and therefore offer a cost saving.”
About Birko
Birko is a leader in providing food safety solutions to the protein processing, food and beverage industries. Birko manufactures more than 250 cleaning, sanitation and production process chemicals, as well as specialized delivery equipment for meat, poultry, pork, produce and brewery applications. Birko also provides solutions used in antimicrobial interventions. Many Birko products are listed on the USDA NOP (National Organic Program) list of allowed products for use by organic processors, and many others are based on environmentally preferable or “environmentally neutral” formulas. Founded in 1953, Birko is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise and was awarded Supplier of the Century by the National Meat Association. birkocorp.com
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