Patent ID: 7866223

Claim:
A method of obtaining samples of meat to assay for microbial contamination comprising: separating portions of meat from at least three separate animals and combining said portions of meat in a bin adapted to hold up to 2,000 pounds of meat; driving, in a single step, a hand-held sampling device into a first, second, and third piece of meat in the bin to obtain a meat core having at least three different animal portions, said meat core having a diameter of between about 0.5 inches to about 3 inches and a length of between about 8 inches and about 16 inches disposed within an internal hollow cavity of an elongated member of said sampling device, said internal hollow cavity comprising a single smooth surface lacking any removable portion along the length of the elongated member, and said internal hollow cavity having a first opening having a cutting surface formed around an entire circumference of a first end of said elongated member, and said internal hollow cavity having a second end comprising a threaded coupling mechanism, said elongated member threadably engaging said hand-held sampling device; removing said sampling device from said bin with said core of meat having at least three different animal portions remaining disposed within said hollow cavity; expelling said core of meat from said hollow cavity through said first end to obtain said core meat sample of a size, length, and diameter suitable for assaying said meat core for microbial contamination; and wherein said first end of said elongated member further includes a flexible plastic hollow tube.