Thus, the lethal responses observed

Thus,
the lethal responses observed in buffer in the present study
would likely change if these organisms were irradiated on
meat surfaces. Protective effects from irradiation damage
would be expected because of the antioxidant activity of the
meat and of any modified packaging atmosphere that might
be used. However, more important than the absolute D-
values reported here is the observation that there was no
significant difference in radiation sensitivity between the
two groups of E. coli examined, both of which were more
sensitive to irradiation than were the Salmonella strains
tested. On the basis of these results, it is highly likely that
low-dose radiation sufficient to control E. coli 0157:H7 will
be adequate for the control of non-0157 VTEC strains of
concern. This hypothesis could be examined by conducting
studies on fresh beef, which are underway.