Commercial application systems need to be developed and the necessary regulatory approvals will need to be achieved. One can expect nine to 18 months before final approval has been granted. Initial economics suggest that this option will be a very affordable new meat safety technology that will easily integrate into current beef sanitation and processing systems. Research has focused initially on beef products. Application with poultry and pork products is currently being evaluated.
Basic research indicates that lactoferrin is effective against Listeria .
Additional research will be necessary to determine the most effective way to control Listeria using activated lactoferrin technology. Since the beginning of time, humans have safely consumed lactoferrin, a natural ingredient in milk. Lactoferrin is a protein and already is present in beef tissue. This is a natural compound that has worked in mammals for thousands of years, so bacterial resistance is not anticipated. Irradiation, or electronic pasteurization, is a one-time treatment for finished products to kill certain bacteria that have survived current processing procedures.