Interaction of Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide and Mild Heat on the Inactivation of Salmonella on Almonds

• Published in: Journal of food protection 2019-10, Vol.82 (10), p.1729-1735
• Main Authors: Wang, Lin, Gurtler, Joshua B, Wang, Wenli, Fan, Xuetong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Ambient temperature; Chlorine; Chlorine Compounds - chemistry; Chlorine Compounds - pharmacology; Chlorine dioxide; Colony Count, Microbial; Deactivation; Disinfectants - chemistry; Disinfectants - pharmacology; E coli; Food; Food Microbiology - methods; Food processing industry; Food safety; Gases; Heat; Hot Temperature; Humidity; Inactivation; Lettuce; Listeria; Microbial Viability; Moisture content; Oxides - chemistry; Oxides - pharmacology; Pasteurization; Pathogens; Populations; Prunus dulcis - microbiology; Relative humidity; Salmonella; Studies; Temperature; Temperature effects
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-114

The interactive effects of mild heat and gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO ) on populations of on almonds were studied. Almonds, dip inoculated with a two-strain cocktail of attenuated Typhimurium, were treated with three concentrations of ClO at ambient temperature (ca. 22°C), and at 45, 50, 55, and 60°C for 4 h and with more than 90% relative humidity. Concentrations of ClO during treatments were measured, and populations of were determined following treatments. Results demonstrated that ClO at concentrations of more than 4 mg/L and ambient temperature only reduced populations of by 1.46 log CFU/g. With increasing treatment temperature, the efficacy of gaseous ClO increased. At 55 and 60°C, >1 mg/L ClO , and a 4-h treatment time, >4 log CFU/g was inactivated. Reductions greater than 4 log of the bacterium by gaseous ClO at 55°C were confirmed using a three-strain cocktail of pathogenic . Overall, results demonstrated that mild heating is necessary for gaseous ClO to achieve more than 4 log CFU/g inactivation of on almonds.