The firm also received approvals for Porkxide and Lambxide antimicrobial processing aids on unskinned pork and lamb livers, by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a Letter of No Objection allowing the antimicrobial interventions to be used as a spray at concentrations up to 2.5% w/w on unskinned livers (outer membrane intact), skinned livers (outer membrane removed), tongues, tails, primal cuts, sub-primal cuts, cuts and trimmings without labeling.
Skinned livers must be drained one to two minutes after application and before packaging.
Elis Owens, Ph.D., Birko’s senior chemist/microbiologist, said: “For many processors the inability to use Beefxide on skinned livers and the requirement for a drain time between application to organ meats and packaging was an obstacle to their adoption of Beefxide.”