Fate of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat turkey breast rolls formulated with antimicrobials following electron-beam irradiation

• Published in: Poultry science 2009, Vol.88 (1), p.205-213
• Main Authors: Zhu, M.J, Mendonca, A, Ismail, H.A, Ahn, D.U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antimicrobial agents; bacterial colonization; bacterial contamination; benzoates; breast muscle; chemical treatment; dosage; dose response; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; electron-beam irradiation; food contamination; food irradiation; Food Irradiation - methods; Food Microbiology; food pathogens; Food Preservation - methods; Food Preservatives - pharmacology; food safety; inhibitors; lactates; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeria monocytogenes - drug effects; Listeria monocytogenes - radiation effects; listeriosis; Meat - microbiology; meat processing; meat quality; microbial growth; microbiological quality; pathogen survival; potassium benzoate; ready-to-eat foods; sensory properties; sodium diacetate; sodium lactate; storage quality; Time Factors; turkey meat; Turkeys; vacuum packaging
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2007-00386

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of antimicrobials on the survival and proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes in turkey breast rolls following electron-beam irradiation. Six antimicrobial additive treatments that include no preservatives (control), 0.1% potassium benzoate (PB), 2% sodium lactate (SL), 0.1% potassium benzoate plus 2% sodium lactate (PB + SL), 2% sodium lactate plus 0.1% sodium diacetate (SL + SDA), and 0.1% potassium benzoate, 2% sodium lactate, and 0.1% sodium diacetate (PB + SL + SDA) were used. Sliced turkey breast rolls were artificially inoculated with approximately 10⁶ cfu/cm² of 5-strain L. monocytogenes cocktails, then vacuum-packaged and irradiated at 0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 kGy. The radiation dose (kGy) that results in 90% reduction of viable cells for breast rolls, D₁₀ value, with various additive treatments ranged from 0.56 to 0.58 kGy. Adding PB (0.1%) or SL (2%) in turkey rolls failed to prevent L. monocytogenes from growing during refrigerated storage. In turkey rolls added with 2 (PB + SL or SL + SDA) or 3 (PB + SL + SDA) antimicrobial combinations had 2 or 3 wk of lag phases before L. monocytogenes growth, respectively. Irradiating turkey rolls, which were added with PB + SL or SL + SDA, at 1.0 kGy was effective in suppressing the growth of L. monocytogenes for about 6 wk when stored at 4°C. No growth of L. monocytogenes after irradiation occurred during 42 d of storage for 2.0 kGy irradiated breast rolls formulated with 0.1% PB + 2% SL, 2% SL + 0.1% SDA or 0.1% PB + 2% SL + 0.1% SDA, and 1.0 kGy irradiated turkey breast with 0.1% PB + 2% SL + 0.1% SDA. Sensory panelists found that low-dose irradiation (1.0 kGy) had no effect on the sensory characteristics of ready-to-eat turkey breast rolls. Including SL + SDA had slightly negative effect for nonirradiated turkey breast rolls, but the sensory characteristics of 1.0 kGy irradiated turkey roll containing SL + SDA was not significantly different from the others receiving 1.0 kGy irradiation. For microbial safety, PB + SL and SL + SDA antimicrobial treatments combined with 1.0 kGy or 2.0 kGy irradiation are a promising technology.