Silver News

Silver Keeps Meat Germ Free

The largest meat recall in U.S. history, some 27.4 million pounds of turkey and chicken products, occurred in October 2002 in a processing plant in Eastern Pennsylvania, the result of an inspection made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which found the Listeria bacteria. This organism has been blamed for 27 deaths and 130 illnesses in eight states nationwide in 2002, but recent studies at the University of Arizona have established that silver-containing coatings are effective against such bacteria harbored by equipment and air conditioning ducts in food processing plants.

The studies show the bactericidal effectiveness of a silver-containing natural silicate known as silver/zinc-containing zeolite. When bonded to steel or other hard surfaces it offers significant protection against bacteria.   According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foodborne illnesses affect upwards of 80 millions people annually in the U.S., causing an estimated 5,000 deaths at a cost of over $4 billion. The highest number of deaths are caused by Salmonella, followed by Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter.

The studies at the University of Arizona show when 530,000 units of Salmonella typhimurium are placed on untreated stainless steel pans, 28,000 survived in open air after 24 hours. But on silver/zinc zeolite-coated steel, the number of units surviving after 24 hours was less than 10. Within a few more hours the bacteria are completely inactivated. The results are equally impressive with the three other types of bacteria tested:

Escherichia coli – of the original 140,000 units, 3,700 survived on the untreated steel, whereas only 17 units survived on the silver/zinc zeolite coated steel in the same 24 hour period.

Campylobacter jejuni – of the original 9,800,000 units, 3,600 survived on the untreated steel, whereas less than 10 units survived on the silver/zinc zeolite coated steel.

For Listeria monocytogenes – of the original 2,100,00 units, 2,200 survived on the untreated steel, whereas less than 10 units survived on the silver/zinc zeolite coated steel.

Silver News - First Quarter 2003