Control of Microorganisms and Reduction of Biogenic Amines in Chicken Breast and Thigh by Irradiation and Organic Acids

• Published in: Poultry science 2007-09, Vol.86 (9), p.2034-2041
• Main Authors: Min, J.S, Lee, S.O, Jang, A, Jo, C, Lee, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetic acid; Acetic Acid - pharmacology; Alcaligenes faecalis; Animals; Bacillus cereus; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - radiation effects; biogenic amines; Biogenic Amines - analysis; breast muscle; chicken meat; Chickens; citric acid; Citric Acid - pharmacology; Colony Count, Microbial; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Enterobacter cloacae; food additives; food contamination; food irradiation; Food Irradiation - methods; food microbiology; Food Microbiology - standards; Food Preservation - methods; ground chicken meat; lactic acid; Lactic Acid - pharmacology; Meat - analysis; Meat - microbiology; Meat - radiation effects; microbial contamination; plate count; thigh meat
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.1093/ps/86.9.2034

The effect of irradiation or organic acid treatment of raw chicken breast and thigh meat to control inoculated microorganisms and the production of biogenic amines (BA) was studied. Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter cloacae, and Alcaligenes faecalis were selected and inoculated into raw ground chicken breast and thigh meat at approximately 10⁷ cfu/g. The samples were irradiated at 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 kGy or mixed with a 0.2 M solution of acetic, citric, or lactic acid (1 mL for 10 g of meat sample) for 24 h at 4°C. Viable cell counts and BA contents were determined. Irradiation was effective in reducing the inoculated bacteria: 0.5 kGy achieved approximately a 2-log reduction, and no viable cells were detected at a dose of 2 kGy. In contrast, only up to a 1-log reduction was achieved by organic acid treatment except for citric acid, which achieved approximately a 3-log reduction of E. cloacae. Both the irradiation and organic acid treatment of raw chicken breast and thigh reduced the BA content, but the rate of BA reduction differed by inoculated organism and treatment (irradiation or organic acid). Although irradiation was an excellent method for controlling inoculated microorganisms, the content of BA produced was similar to that of the organic acid treatment of raw chicken breast and thigh meat.