Influence of modified blanching treatments on inactivation of Salmonella during drying and storage of carrot slices

Documented outbreaks of human illness associated with consumption of minimally processed produce have increased in recent years. This study evaluated the influence of modified treatments on inactivation of Salmonella during preparation, home-type dehydration (60 degrees C, 6h) and storage of carrot slices. Inoculated (five strains, 7.8 log cfu/g) slices were subjected to the following treatments: (i) untreated control, (ii) steam blanching (88 degrees C, 10 min), (iii) water blanching (88 degrees C, 4 min), (iv) blanching in a 0.105% citric acid solution (88 degrees C, 4 min), or (v) blanching in a 0.21% citric acid solution (88 degrees C, 4 min), dried for 6h at 60 degrees C (140 degrees F), and stored for up to 30 d. Bacterial populations were reduced by 3.8-4.1, 4.6-5.1 and 4.2-4.6 log cfu/g immediately following steam, water or citric acid blanching, respectively. After 6h of dehydration, total reductions were 1.6-1.7 (control), 4.0-5.0 (steam blanched), 4.1-4.6 (water blanched) and 4.9-5.4 (blanched in citric acid solution) log cfu/g. Populations continued to decrease throughout storage, but were still detectable by direct plating at 30 d on all samples except for those blanched in 0.21% citric acid. Results suggest that blanching carrot slices, particularly blanching in 0.21% citric acid, before drying should enhance inactivation of Salmonella during home-type dehydration and storage.     

Influence of blanching treatments on Salmonella during home-type dehydration and storage of potato slices

Recommended drying treatments may not enhance destruction of pathogens that could be present on home-dried foods. In this study, the effects of traditional and modified treatments on Salmonella were evaluated during preparation, home-type dehydration (60 degrees C for 6 h), and storage of potato slices. Potato slices inoculated with five strains of Salmonella (8.4 log CFU/ g) were left untreated or were treated by steam blanching (88 degrees C for 10 min), water blanching (88 degrees C for 4 min), 0.105% citric acid blanching (88 degrees C for 4 min), or 0.210% citric acid blanching (88 degrees C for 4 min). Slices were then dried (6 h for 60 degrees C) and aerobically stored for up to 30 days at 25 +/- 3 degrees C. Cells were enumerated on tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate (TSAP) and on xylose lysine deoxycholate agar. Salmonella populations were reduced by 4.5 to 4.8 CFU/g and by >5.4 log CFU/g immediately following steam and water blanching, respectively. Populations were below the detection limit (0.80 log CFU/g) immediately following acid blanching, except for samples blanched in 0.105% citric acid and recovered on TSAP. After dehydration (6 h for 60 degrees C), Salmonella reductions on blanched potato slices (5.3 to 5.6 log CFU/g) were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those on untreated samples (1.9 to 2.7 log CFU/g). Populations on all samples continued to decrease throughout 30 days of storage but still were 3.1 to 3.9 log CFU/g on untreated samples. In comparison, bacterial populations on blanched samples were undetectable by direct plating following 30 days of storage (regardless of blanching method). Blanching treatments used in this study improved the effectiveness of drying for inactivating Salmonella inoculated onto potato slices and, therefore, may enhance the safety of the product.     

Inactivation of Salmonella during drying and storage of apple slices treated with acidic or sodium metabisulfite solutions

This study was undertaken to determine whether pretreating inoculated Gala apple slices with metabisulfite or acidic solutions enhanced the inactivation of Salmonella during dehydration and storage. Apple slices inoculated with a five-strain mixture of Salmonella (7.6 log CFU/g) were pretreated, dried for 6 h at 60 degrees C, and stored aerobically at 25 degrees C for 28 days. Predrying treatments included (i) no treatment, (ii) 10 min of immersion in sterile water, (iii) 10 min of immersion in a 4.18% sodium metabisulfite solution, (iv) 10 min of immersion in a 3.40% ascorbic acid solution, and (v) 10 min of immersion in a 0.21% citric acid solution. Samples were plated on tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate (TSAP), brilliant green sulfa (BGS) agar, and xylose lysine tergitol 4 (XLT4) agar for the enumeration of bacteria. Populations were not significantly (P > 0.05) reduced by immersion in water but were reduced by 0.7 to 1.1 log CFU/g by immersion in acidic solutions. Immersion in the sodium metabisulfite solution reduced populations by 0.4, 1.3, and 5.4 log CFU/g on TSAP, BGS agar, and XLT4 agar, respectively. After 6 h of dehydration at 60 degrees C, populations on untreated and water-treated slices were reduced by 2.7 to 2.8, 2.7 to 2.9, and 4.0 to 4.2 log CFU/g as determined with TSAP, BGS agar, and XLT4 agar, respectively. In contrast, populations on slices treated with sodium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, and citric acid were reduced after 6 h of dehydration by 4.3, 5.2, and 3.8 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with TSAP; by 4.7, 5.5, and 3.9 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with BGS agar; and by 5.5, 5.7, and 5.6 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with XLT4 agar. Bacteria were still detectable by direct plating after 28 days except on slices treated with ascorbic acid. Immersion in metabisulfite or acidic solutions prior to dehydration should enhance the inactivation of Salmonella during the dehydration and storage of Gala apple slices.     

Influence of refrigerated storage time on efficacy of irradiation to reduce Salmonella on sliced Roma tomatoes

Contamination of tomatoes with Salmonella is a recurring food safety concern. Irradiation is a nonthermal intervention that can inactivate pathogens on fresh and minimally processed produce. However, the influence of tomato processing protocols, including time in refrigerated storage and time between slicing and irradiation, has not been determined. Roma tomatoes were sliced and inoculated with a cocktail of Salmonella outbreak strains. The inoculated tomatoes were held in refrigerated storage for various times after inoculation to simulate the potential time delay between packaging and irradiation. Tomatoes were irradiated immediately (0 h) or after 24, 48, or 72 h in storage. The surviving populations were recovered and enumerated. Irradiation effectively reduced Salmonella at all times. The D(10)-values (the dose necessary for a 1-log reduction of the pathogen) were not significantly different at each storage time and ranged from 0.382 to 0.473 kGy. These results suggest that the time required for holding of processed Roma tomatoes or shipment to an off-site irradiation service provider will not alter the efficacy of irradiation in a commercial environment.     

A predictive model for the effect of temperature and predrying treatments in reducing Listeria monocytogenes populations during drying of beef jerky

The objective of this study was to model the effect of drying temperatures (52, 57, and 63 degrees C) and predrying treatments on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on beef jerky. Before drying, beef slices were inoculated with a 10-strain composite of L. monocytogenes and then treated with the following: (i) nothing (C), (ii) traditional marinade (M), or (iii) dipping in 5% acetic acid solution for 10 min, followed by M (AM). In addition, sequential stresses (exposure to 10% NaCl, followed by an adjustment of the pH to 5.0 and, subsequently, a water bath at 45 degrees C) were applied to the inocula before beef contamination and drying at 63 degrees C. Surviving L. monocytogenes were determined on tryptic soy agar plus 0.6% yeast extract (TSAYE) and on PALCAM agar at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h during drying. Data were modeled by a linear regression (treatment AM) and a logistic-based equation capable of fitting biphasic inactivation curves without initial shoulder (treatments C and M). The total log reductions expressed as the CFU per square centimeter of L. monocytogenes (3.9 to 5.1) for the samples treated with M (3.5 to 5.4) when compared with C were similar, whereas AM-treated samples had higher (6.1 to 6.8) reductions. All survival curves were characterized by an initial rapid decrease in populations within the first 2 h, which was followed by a secondary death phase at a lower rate. No significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in inactivation were observed due to drying temperatures in the range (52 to 63 degrees C) tested. Inactivation differences between recovered counts of stressed and unstressed cells were significant (P < 0.05) in PALCAM but not in TSAYE. The acidified predrying treatment (AM) had higher pathogen inactivation during drying than other treatments, regardless of drying temperature. The models developed may be useful in designing effective drying processes for beef jerky.     

Inactivation of Salmonella on in-shell pecans during conditioning treatments preceding cracking and shelling

Studies were done to determine the effectiveness of conditioning treatments for killing Salmonella in and on immersion-inoculated and surface-inoculated in-shell pecans. Treatment of immersion-inoculated, dried, stored pecans in chlorinated water (400 μg/ml) reduced Salmonella by not more than 1.6 log CFU/g. Treatment of immersion-inoculated, dried, stored pecans in chlorinated water (200 μg/ml, 1 min) followed by soaking in water for 2 h at 21°C and treating for 10 min in water at 85 to 95°C reduced Salmonella by >5.12 log CFU/g; treatment of nuts containing a low population of Salmonella (<0.60 log CFU/g) for 15 min at 90°C failed to eliminate the pathogen. Reductions of ≥6.42 log CFU/g were achieved by treating surface-inoculated nuts in water at 90 or 95°C for 80 s; treatment of nuts containing 1.78 log CFU/g at 95°C for 10 min did not eliminate the pathogen. Salmonella on surface-inoculated in-shell pecans (kernel moisture, 4.75%; water activity, 0.62) that had been dried and stored at 4°C for 3 to 5 weeks was more resistant to conditioning treatments than was Salmonella on surface-inoculated pecans (kernel moisture, 5.60%; water activity, 0.73) that were not thoroughly dried. Conditioning treatments were less effective for killing Salmonella on immersion-inoculated pecans than on surface-inoculated pecans. Response of Salmonella to conditioning treatments varied, depending on the method of inoculation and whether nuts were dried and stored between the time of inoculation and treatment, which emphasizes the importance of following practices commonly used by commercial pecan shellers when validating the lethality of conditioning treatments.     

Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes during drying and storage of peach slices treated with acidic or sodium metabisulfite solutions

This study evaluated whether treating inoculated peach slices with metabisulfite or acidic solutions enhanced inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes during dehydration and storage. Inoculated (five strain mixture of L. monocytogenes, 7.9 log cfu/g) peach slices were treated, dried for 6 h at 60°C and stored aerobically at 25°C for 14 d. Predrying treatments of inoculated peach slices included: (1) no treatment (control); or 10 min immersion in: (2) sterile water, (3) 4.18% sodium metabisulfite, (4) 3.40% ascorbic acid, or (5) 0.21% citric acid solutions. Samples were plated on tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate (TSAP) and PALCAM agar for enumeration of surviving bacteria. Immersion in sterile water reduced bacterial populations on peach slices by 0.7 log cfu/g (TSAP and PALCAM). Immersion in the sodium metabisulfite solution reduced populations by 1.5–2.0 log cfu/g, while acidic pretreatments reduced populations by 0.5–0.8 log cfu/g. After 6 h of dehydration, populations on control or water immersed slices were reduced by 3.2–3.4 log cfu/g, whereas populations on slices treated with sodium metabisulfite or acidic solutions were reduced by 4.3–5.1 log cfu/g (TSAP) and 5.3–6.2 log cfu/g (PALCAM), respectively. Bacteria were detectable by direct plating at 14 d of storage, except on acid treated slices. Immersion in acidic or metabisulfite solutions, before dehydration, should enhance inactivation of L. monocytogenes contamination on peach slices during dehydration and storage.     

Effect of acid adaptation on inactivation of Salmonella during drying and storage of beef jerky treated with marinades

This study evaluated the influence of pre-drying marinade treatments on inactivation of acid-adapted or nonadapted Salmonella on beef jerky during preparation, drying and storage. The inoculated (five-strain composite, 6.0 log CFU/cm2) slices were subjected to the following marinades (24 h, 4 degrees C) prior to drying at 60 degrees C for 10 h and aerobic storage at 25 degrees C for 60 days: (1) no marinade, control (C), (2) traditional marinade (TM), (3) double amount of TM modified with added 1.2% sodium lactate, 9% acetic acid, and 68% soy sauce with 5% ethanol (MM), (4) dipping into 5% acetic acid and then TM (AATM), and (5) dipping into 1% Tween 20 and then into 5% acetic acid, followed by TM (TWTM). Bacterial survivors were determined on tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate and xylose-lysine-tergitol 4 (XLT4) agar. Results indicated that drying reduced bacterial populations in the order of pre-drying treatments TWTM (4.8-6.0 log CFU/cm2)> or =AATM> or =MM>TM> or =C (2.6-5.0 log CFU/cm2). Nonadapted Salmonella were significantly (P<0.05) more resistant to inactivation during drying than acid-adapted Salmonella in all treatments. Bacterial populations decreased below the detection limit (-0.4 log CFU/cm2) as early as 7 h during drying or remained detectable even after 60 days of storage, depending on acid adaptation, pre-drying treatment, and agar media. The results indicated that acid adaptation may not cause increased resistance of Salmonella to the microbial hurdles involved in jerky processing and that use of modified marinades in manufacturing jerky may improve the effectiveness of drying in inactivating Salmonella.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during storage or drying of apple slices pretreated with acidic solutions

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was evaluated on inoculated apple slices without pretreatment or pretreated by immersing in water or acid solutions commonly used to help retain apple color during dehydration, then stored at ambient temperature or dried for 6 h. Half-ring slices (0.6 cm thick) of peeled and cored Gala apples were inoculated by immersion for 30 min in a three-strain composite inoculum of E. coli O157:H7 (7.8-8.0 CFU/g). Inoculated slices received (1) no pre-drying treatment (control); or a 10-min immersion in solutions of (2) sterile water, (3) 2.8% ascorbic acid, (4) 1.7% citric acid, (5) 50% commercial lemon juice, or (6) 50% commercial lemon juice with preservatives. Drained slices were placed in sterile plastic bags and stored at room temperature (25+/-2 degrees C) for up to 6 h or dehydrated (62.8 degrees C) for up to 6 h. Samples were plated on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMAC) for direct enumeration of surviving bacteria at various time intervals. Immersion in sterile water or acidic solutions caused initial bacterial reductions of 0.9-1.3 log CFU/g on apple slices. Between 0 and 6 h of storage at room temperature, slices dipped in acidic solutions showed minor changes in bacterial populations (-0.2 to +0.6 log CFU/g) compared to a 1.1 log CFU/g increase for slices dipped in sterile water. The no treatment samples (control) showed an increase in bacterial populations of 1.3-1.5 CFU/g over the 6-h holding time. For apple slices dried at 62.8 degrees C, bacterial populations were reduced by 2.5 (SMAC) and 3.1 (TSA) log CFU/g in the control (no pre-drying treatment) samples following 6 h dehydration. The slices immersed in sterile water showed a 5.8 (SMAC) and 5.1 (TSA) reduction after 6 h of dehydration. In contrast, after 6 h of dehydration bacterial populations on the four acid-pretreated products were reduced by 6.7-7.3 log CFU/g. The results showed that acidic treatment alone was not effective in destroying E. coli O157:H7 on apple slices but did inhibit growth of the organism during holding before drying. However, pretreatment of the apple slices with common household acidulants enhanced destruction of E. coli O157:H7 during drying compared to slices dried without treatment.     

烫漂和烘干过程对槟榔中槟榔碱含量的影响

采用高效液相色谱法测定槟榔碱的含量,研究了烫漂和烘干过程对槟榔碱的影响。结果表明,在沸水烫漂时,槟榔中的槟榔碱含量在10~30 s内迅速下降,沸水烫漂40 s时槟榔碱的损失率达到最大值,接近40%,随后其损失速率减缓;不同烫漂温度研究发现随着温度的升高,槟榔中的槟榔碱含量逐渐降低,烫漂温度在70℃以上槟榔碱的损失十分显著。对比烫漂水中的槟榔碱含量发现,低温烫漂时槟榔碱的损失主要为水溶损失,当烫漂温度升高至80℃以上时,槟榔碱出现非水溶性损失。烘干过程中,烘干时间越长或烘干温度越高时,槟榔碱的含量越低。结合槟榔的干燥曲线可以发现,槟榔碱含量的减少跟槟榔水分的蒸发有关,槟榔水分蒸发越剧烈,槟榔碱含量越低。槟榔在50℃条件下烘至绝干时,槟榔碱损失率约为30%。因此可知,槟榔碱具有以下特点:在高温下易分解、易溶于水、能随着水蒸气的挥发而挥发。     

Control of Listeria monocytogenes on frankfurters with antimicrobials in the formulation and by dipping in organic acid solutions

The antilisterial activity of sodium lactate (SL) and sodium diacetate (SD) was evaluated in a frankfurter formulation and in combination with a dipping treatment into solutions of lactic acid or acetic acid after processing and inoculation. Pork frankfurters were formulated with 1.8% SL or 0.25% SD or combinations of 1.8% SL with 0.25 or 0.125% SD. After processing, frankfurters were inoculated (2 to 3 log CFU/cm2) with a 10-strain composite of Listeria monocytogenes and left undipped or were dipped (2 min) in 2.5% solutions of lactic acid or acetic acid (23 +/- 2 degrees C) before vacuum packaging and storage at 10 degrees C for 40 days. Total microbial populations and L. monocytogenes, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds were enumerated during storage. Sensory evaluations also were carried out on frankfurters treated and/or formulated with effective antimicrobials. The combination of 1.8% SL with 0.25% SD provided complete inhibition of L. monocytogenes growth throughout storage. Dipping in lactic acid or acetic acid reduced initial populations by 0.7 to 2.1 log CFU/cm2, but during storage (12 to 20 days), populations on dipped samples without antimicrobials in the formulation reached 5.5 to 7.9 log CFU/cm2. For samples containing single antimicrobials and dipped in lactic acid or acetic acid, L. monocytogenes growth was completely inhibited or reduced over 12 and 28 days, respectively, whereas final populations were lower (P < 0.05) than those in undipped samples of the same formulations. Bactericidal effects during storage (reductions of 0.6 to 1.0 log CFU/ cm2 over 28 to 40 days) were observed in frankfurters containing combinations of SL and SD that were dipped in organic acid solutions. Inclusion of antimicrobials in the formulation and/or dipping the product into organic acid solutions did not affect (P > 0.05) the flavor and overall acceptability of products compared with controls. The results of this study may be valuable to meat processors as they seek approaches for meeting new regulatory requirements in the United States.     

Effect of blanching,drying, freezing and storage on degradation of β-carotene in different fruits

Since biologically active carotenoids play a significant role in metabolism and because of the fact that its stability can be affected by various factors decomposition degree of β-carotene of various kinds of fruits after drying, freezing, blanching as well as after drying and freezing of blanched fruits has been researched in order to prolong their consumption time-limit. The β-carotene content was determined by means of the spectrophotometric method measuring adsorbance intensity at 450 nm. The results of investigation reveal that the decomposition degree of β-carotene increases significantly with storage time. Depending on the kind of fruits, treatment and storage time it ranged from 6.10% to 68.74%. No significant differences have been found after a longer storage between blanched and non-blanched fruits, either dried or frozen.     

Effects of temperature,pH, organic acids,and sulfites on tagatose browning in solutions during processing and storage

Tagatose browning in solutions might be unacceptable to certain products containing tagatose during processing and storage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of temperature, pH, organic acids, and sulfites on tagatose browning in solutions. Tagatose showed the fastest browning reaction, followed by fructose, xylose, glucose, and sucrose. Tagatose browning was temperature and pH dependent. As temperature and pH increased, tagatose browning was increased. Tagatose browning was slow at temperatures lower than 80°C and pH of 5. Organic acids, such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid, activated tagatose browning. Sodium bisulfite and potassium metabisulfite inhibited tagatose browning, whereas sodium sulfite had no effect on the inhibition of tagatose browning. During storage at 25°C, tagatose browning did not occur regardless of the pH, tagatose concentration, and storage time. It was suggested that tagatose browning in solutions might be prevented by controlling the temperature and pH.     

Stability of fructooligosaccharides,sugars and colour of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) roots during blanching and drying

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) root is an important source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS). This study evaluated the influence of the blanching and drying processes on the sugars, FOS and colour of the obtained flour. Blanching in boiling water of 5 mm slices for 6 min allowed to inactivate 95% of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity. Blanching solutions containing ascorbic, citric and lactic acid were detrimental in terms of FOS retention (68.2–87.4%) due to hydrolysis mainly of GF3, GF4 and GF5 FOS, and also important losses of reducing sugars (RS) were observed (69.5–87.4% retention). Blanching treatments that included ascorbic acid/CaCl₂ prevented RS and FOS losses and improved colour of the obtained flour. The drying tested temperatures of 50–80 °C did not affect the RS retention and FOS losses associated to hydrolysis and the use of 80 °C rapidly reduced the water content and minimised browning reactions yielding flours with excellent colour characteristics with high FOS content that can be derived to the elaboration of prebiotic containing functional foods or for the extraction and purification of FOS.     

Development and validation of a neural network model for predicting growth of Salmonella Newport on diced Roma tomatoes during simulated salad preparation and serving: extrapolation to other serotypes

A study was undertaken to model growth of Salmonella on tomatoes for developing and validating a predictive model for use in risk assessment. Cylindrical portions (0.14 g) of Roma tomato pulp were inoculated with a low dose (0.89 log MPN) of Salmonella Newport. The inoculated tomato portions were incubated for 0–8 h at 16–40 °C in 2 °C increments to obtain most probable number (MPN) data for model development and validation. A multiple‐layer feedforward neural network model with two hidden layers of two nodes each was developed. The proportion of residuals in an acceptable prediction zone (pAPZ) from ?1 (fail‐safe) to 0.5 log (fail‐dangerous) was 0.93 (194/209) for dependent data and 0.96 (86/90) for independent data for interpolation. A pAPZ ≥0.7 indicated that the model provided acceptable predictions. Thus, the model was successfully validated. It was also validated for extrapolation to seven other Salmonella serotypes.     

Effect of inoculum size, relative humidity, storage temperature, and ripening stage on the attachment of Salmonella Montevideo to tomatoes and tomatillos

The influence of inoculum populations and environmental factors on attachment of Salmonella Montevideo to the surface of tomatoes and tomatillos was evaluated. To study the effect of inoculum size, red, ripe tomatoes were spot-inoculated with bacterial suspensions (10(5) and 10(8) CFU/fruit) and stored at 22 degrees C under 100% relative humidity. The effects of temperature (12, 22, and 30 degrees C) and relative humidity (75, 85, and 97%) on attachment of the pathogen (10(7) CFU/fruit) to tomatoes (red and green) and ripe tomatillos were also evaluated. Inoculated fruits were stored for 90 min at all combinations of temperature and relative humidity, and after rinsing with water, the number of cells attached to the surface was determined. Salmonella Montevideo attached to the surface of tomatoes within 90 min. A direct correlation between the number of attached cells and the population in the inoculum was observed. The percentage of cells that attached immediately after inoculation was approximately 0.3% for the three test products. After storage for 90 min at various temperature and relative humidity conditions, the number of adhering cells ranged from 4.0 to 5.4 log CFU/fruit (1.2% of inoculum). Both the type of product and the temperature/relative humidity combination had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on attachment of Salmonella Montevideo to the surfaces of tomatoes and tomatillos. Scanning electron micrographs of the cuticles of inoculated washed tomatoes and tomatillos revealed typical skin cell patterns, and only a few randomly dispersed Salmonella Montevideo were observed. Deposition of Salmonella Montevideo on the surface of tomatoes and tomatillos could result in attachment and subsequent colonization under suitable conditions.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes on apples, oranges, and tomatoes by lactic acid with hydrogen peroxide.

The objective of this study was to develop a practical and effective method for inactivating or substantially reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes on apples, oranges, and tomatoes. Apples, oranges, and tomatoes were spot-inoculated with five-strain mixtures of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, and L. monocytogenes near the stem end and were submerged in sterile deionized water containing 1.5% lactic acid plus 1.5% hydrogen peroxide for 15 min at 40 degrees C. Inoculated samples treated with sterile deionized water at the same temperature and for the same duration served as controls. The bacterial pathogens on fruits subjected to the chemical treatment were reduced by >5.0 log10 CFU per fruit, whereas washing in deionized water decreased the pathogens by only 1.5 to 2.0 log10 CFU per fruit. Furthermore, substantial populations of the pathogens survived in the control wash water, whereas no E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, or L. monocytogenes cells were detected in the chemical treatment solution. The sensory and qualitative characteristics of apples treated with the chemical wash solution were not adversely affected by the treatment. It was found that the treatment developed in this study could effectively be used to kill E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, and L. monocytogenes on apples, oranges, and tomatoes at the processing or packaging level.     

New methods to assess water diffusion in amorphous matrices during storage and drying

Water diffusion coefficient is an important parameter for food processing and stability, strongly influenced by the composition and the physical state of the matrix (amorphous glassy or rubbery/crystalline). In this study, two different methods to assess water diffusion in amorphous matrices were compared. First, an automatic sorption device was used to measure the water sorption kinetics of powders of maltodextrin DE21 and DE47 with defined shapes when equilibrating at different air relative humidity (0–60% at 25 °C). Calculation of water diffusion coefficients was done according to Crank’s and Weibull’s models, and it was not possible when powders undergo glass transition. In the second part of the study a thin film dryer was used to assess the drying kinetics of aqueous solutions of maltodextrin (DE 6-12-29-40). The Yamamoto’s model allowed calculating water diffusion as a function of water content and temperature, above and below glass transition temperature.     

抗坏血酸与壳聚糖处理对鲜切杨桃贮藏效果的影响

利用抗坏血酸和壳聚糖复合处理鲜切杨桃,研究其在贮藏期间的生理生化变化。研究结果表明:在贮藏温度为12℃条件下,6g/L抗坏血酸+15.0g/L壳聚糖复合处理鲜切杨桃可降低腐烂率、失重率与相对电导率,减少可溶性固形物含量损失,抑制POD、PPO活性,对鲜切杨桃起到较好的保鲜作用。     

Survival of Salmonella on tomatoes stored at high relative humidity, in soil, and on tomatoes in contact with soil

Salmonellosis has been linked to the consumption of several types of raw fruits and vegetables, some of which may have been contaminated with Salmonella before harvesting. The objectives of this study were to investigate water and soil as reservoirs of Salmonella for the contamination of mature green tomato fruits. Salmonella survived for at least 45 days in inoculated moist soil. The population of Salmonella on tomatoes in contact with soil increased by 2.5 log10 CFU per tomato during storage for 4 days at 20 degrees C and remained constant for an additional 10 days. The number of cells inoculated on tomatoes decreased by approximately 4 log10 CFU per tomato during storage for 14 days at 20 degrees C and 70% relative humidity. Fruits in contact with inoculated soil for 1 day at 20 degrees C harbored Salmonella only near or on the skin surface. More Salmonella cells were observed in stem scar and subsurface areas of tomatoes as the time of storage increased. PCR fingerprinting revealed that among five Salmonella serotypes in the inoculum, Salmonella Montevideo was the most persistent on tomatoes in contact with inoculated soil and on spot-inoculated tomatoes, followed by Salmonella Poona and Salmonella Michigan. The results of this study demonstrate that an enhanced green fluorescent protein marker can be used to detect cells and monitor the growth of Salmonella in the presence of other microorganisms. Observations on the infiltration of Salmonella into tomato tissues support the contention that preharvest contact of produce with contaminated water or soil exacerbates problems associated with the postharvest removal of pathogens or their accessibility to treatment with sanitizers.