Control of Salmonella in low-moisture foods: Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 as a surrogate for thermal and non-thermal validation

Salmonella has been implicated in multiple foodborne outbreaks and recalls associated with low water activity foods (La w F). To verify the effectiveness of a process against Salmonella in La w F, validation using a nonpathogenic surrogate strain is essential. Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 strain...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 2022-07, Vol.62 (21), p.5886-5902
Main Authors: Dhowlaghar, Nitin, Zhu, Mei-Jun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Enterococcus faecium
Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354
Food
Food composition
Food processing
Inactivation
Literature reviews
low-moisture foods
Moisture effects
non-thermal
Organoleptic properties
resistance
Salmonella
surrogate
Survival
thermal
Water activity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Salmonella has been implicated in multiple foodborne outbreaks and recalls associated with low water activity foods (La w F). To verify the effectiveness of a process against Salmonella in La w F, validation using a nonpathogenic surrogate strain is essential. Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 strain has been used as a potential surrogate of Salmonella in different processing of La w F. However, the survival of Salmonella and E. faecium in La w F during food processing is a dynamic function of a w , food composition and structure, processing techniques, and other factors. This review assessed pertinent literature on the thermal and non-thermal inactivation of Salmonella and its presumable surrogate E. faecium in various La w F and provided an overview of its suitibility in different La w F. Overall, based on the D-values, survival/reduction, temperature/time to obtain 4 or 5-log reductions, most studies concluded that E. faecium is a suitable surrogate of Salmonella during La w F processing as its magnitude of resistance was slightly greater or equal (i.e., statistical similar) as compared to Salmonella. Studies also showed its unsuitability which either does not provide a proper margin of safety or being overly resistant and may compromise the quality and organoleptic properties of food. This review provides useful information and guidance for future validation studies of La w F.
ISSN:1040-8398
1549-7852
DOI:10.1080/10408398.2021.1895055