The Elimination of Listeria Monocytogenes Attached to Stainless Steel or Aluminum Using Multiple Hurdles

Ready‐to‐eat luncheon meats sliced in retail delis have been found to pose the greatest risk of foodborne illness from Listeria monocytogenes among all ready‐to‐eat foods. Slicers used in delis have many removable parts that are connected with seals and gaskets, with spaces, cracks and crevices that are difficult to clean adequately and may provide a niche for L. monocytogenes survival. Standard cleaning and sanitizing practices used by deli employees may not eliminate Listeria in these niches. Moist heat is known to be more effective against L. monocytogenes than dry heat at the same temperature and time. The study reported here investigated the effects of moist heat combined with quaternary ammonium compounds (5 or 10 ppm), chlorine (10 or 25 ppm) or peracetic acid (10 or 25 ppm) on inactivating L. monocytogenes attached to stainless steel or aluminum coupons cut from commercial deli meat slicer components. All sanitizers when used alone resulted in a 2‐ to 3‐log reduction of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel or aluminum surfaces, while moist heat alone resulted in a 3‐ to 4‐log reduction. When combined with heat the quaternary ammonium was used at 5 ppm, peracetic acid at 10 ppm and chlorine at 10 ppm. When the 2 lethal treatments were combined there was a 5‐ to7‐log reduction as compared to initial inoculation.     

Inhibitory effect of propolis extract on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and the mutagenicity of 4‐nitroquinoline‐N‐oxide

Propolis originates from a resinous substance collected by honeybees from the buds and leaves of trees and plants, which is then mixed with pollen as well as enzymes secreted by the bees. In the present study, the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes to the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) as influenced by EEP concentration, incubation temperature, pH, and cell age was investigated. In addition, the antimutagenic action of EEP against 4‐nitroquinoline‐N‐oxide (4‐NQO) was also examined. Results revealed that EEP at a dosage of 7.5 µg mL^?1 or higher exerted a bactericidal effect on L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes was most susceptible to EEP at 37 °C followed by 25 and 4 °C. At acid pH values, cells of the test organism were more sensitive to EEP than at neutral pH, while most resistant at alkaline pH values. Cell age was also found to affect the susceptibility of L. monocytogenes to EEP. Cells in the mid‐exponential phase showed the highest susceptibility, followed by cells in the late‐exponential phase and stationary phase. EEP caused cell leakage of the test organism. A marked increase in the absorbance at 260 nm, UV‐absorbing material in the supernatant of cell suspension, and irregularly shaped materials around the cell surface were noted after cells of L. monocytogenes were exposed to EEP. Furthermore, EEP at a dosage of 7.5–60.0 µg per plate was found to suppress 4‐NQO‐induced mutation by 17.6–88.8%. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modelling the cross‐contamination of Listeria monocytogenes in pork during bowl chopping

This study has developed a predictive model for the cross‐contamination of pork by Listeria monocytogenes during bowl chopping. The transfer rates of L. monocytogenes were measured in sixteen chopping scenarios based on practical work. Meanwhile, contaminated bowl chopper was cleaned with either a dry rag (DR), warm water (WW) or 70% ethanol + water (EW), respectively. It was showed that significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among the three cleaning methods on the reduction of L. monocytogenes, the greatest log reduction being achieved by EW. Moreover, the model introduced by a previous study, predicting cross‐contamination of L. monocytogenes during meat slicing, was improved and validated in this study. Verification results showed that the improved model was acceptable for predicting L. monocytogenes cross‐contamination during pork chopping with coefficients of determination (R² > 0.82), accuracy factors (A_f < 1.44), bias factors (B_f < 1.42), and root mean square error (RMSE < 0.99). Furthermore, the modified model might provide an effective tool for assessing the risk of the cross‐contamination of meat products.     

Effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum) pomace extract as a washing agent on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on fresh produce

Pomegranate pomace extract (PPE) was used as a substitute to chlorinated water for washing of fresh produce. PPE contained punicalagins and ellagic acids, and it had a good inhibitory effect against Listeria monocytogenes based on the results of disc diffusion test and time‐kill assay. Red chard, beet, chicon and red mustard leaves were treated with 7 mg mL^?1 PPE as a washing solution to inactivate L. monocytogenes inoculated on fresh produce and compared with 0.05 mg mL^?1 NaOCl treatment. After the treatment, L. monocytogenes population on the four leafy vegetables was reduced by 1.96–2.97 log CFU g^?1 compared to that on nontreated samples. The reductions in L. monocytogenes after PPE treatment were higher than those observed after NaOCl treatment. Further, the PPE treatment did not affect the surface colour of all fresh produce applied in this study. Thus, PPE can be used as an effective antimicrobial washing agent of fresh produce.     

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Nisin Combined with Grape Seed Extract or Green Tea Extract in Soy Protein Film Coated on Turkey Frankfurters

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of grape seed extract (GSE), green tea extract (GTE), nisin and their combinations (nisin with either GSE or GTE) against Listeria monocytogenes. The inhibitory effect of these natural compounds was evaluated in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) medium containing approximately 10⁹ colony‐forming units (CFU/mL) of L. monocytogenes. The effectiveness of these compounds in a meat model system was evaluated by surface inoculation (approximately 10⁶ CFU/g) of L. monocytogenes onto turkey frankfurters. The inoculated frankfurters were dipped into soy protein film‐forming solutions with and without the addition of antimicrobial agents (GSE 1% or GTE 1% or nisin 10000 IU or combinations). Samples were stored at either 4 °C or 10 °C. The inhibitory effects of edible coatings were evaluated on a weekly basis for 28 d. The greatest inhibitory effect was observed in the PBS medium containing GSE (1%) and nisin (10000 IU/mL), which caused a 9‐log cycle reduction of L. monocytogenes population after 3 h incubation at 37 °C. In the meat system, the L. monocytogenes population (7.1 CFU/g) was decreased by more than 2 log cycle after 28 d at 4 °C and 10 °C, in the samples containing nisin (10000 IU) combined with either GSE (1%) or GTE (1%). This research has demonstrated that the use of an edible film coating containing both nisin and natural extracts is a promising means of controlling the growth and recontamination of L. monocytogenes on ready‐to‐eat meat products.     

Modeling Surface Transfer of Listeria monocytogenes on Salami during Slicing

ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes has been implicated in several listeriosis outbreaks linked to the consumption of presliced ready‐to‐eat (RTE) deli meats, which has drawn considerable attention in regard to possible cross‐contamination during slicing operation at retail and food service environments. Salami with 15% fat (a moderate fat content deli item) was used to investigate the transfer of L. monocytogenes between a meat slicer and salami slices and to understand its impact on food safety. A 6‐strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes was inoculated onto a slicer blade to an initial level of approximately 3, 5, 6, 7, or 9 log CFU/blade (or approximately 2, 4, 5, 6, or 8 log CFU/cm² of the blade edge area), and then the salami was sliced to a thickness of 1 to 2 mm (case I). For another cross‐contamination scenario, a clean blade was first used to slice salami loaf that was previously surface‐inoculated with L. monocytogenes (approximately 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 log CFU/100 cm² area), followed by slicing the uninoculated salami loaf (case II). The salami slicing rate was maintained at an average of 3 to 4 slices per minute in all the tests. The results showed that the empirical models developed in this study were reasonably accurate in describing the transfer trend/pattern of L. monocytogenes between the blade and salami slices if the inoculum level was > 5 log CFU on the salami or blade. With an initial inoculum at 3 or 4 log CFU, the experimental data seemed to suggest a rather random pattern of bacterial transfer between blade and salami. The currently developed models are microbial load (n), sequential slice index (X), and contamination route dependent, which might limit their applications to certain conditions. However, the models may be further applied to predict the 3 or 4 log CFU level (and below) cross‐contamination of salami slicing process. Considering only few data are available in the literature regarding food pathogen surface transfer, the empirical models may provide a useful tool in building risk assessment procedures.     

Listeria monocytogenes Inhibition by Whey Protein Films and Coatings Incorporating the Lactoperoxidase System

Antimicrobial effects of whey protein isolate (WPI) films and coatings incorporating the lactoperoxidase system (LPOS) against Listeria monocytogenes were studied by turbidity, plate counting, disc‐covering, and disc‐surface‐spreading tests using various growth media. Survival of L. monocytogenes applied to smoked salmon before or after the coating was monitored immediately after application and during storage at 4 °C and 10 °C for up to 35 d. Tensile properties (elastic modulus [EM], tensile strength [TS], elongation [E]), oxygen permeability (OP), and color (Hunter L, a, b) of WPI films, with and without LPOS, were also compared. LPOS inhibited L. monocytogenes in broth and on agar media. WPI films incorporating 29 mg of LPOS per gram of film (dry basis) inhibited 4.2 log colony‐forming units (CFU)/cm² of L. monocytogenes inoculated on agar media. WPI coatings prepared with LPOS at 0.7% (w/w) in a coating solution (40 mg LPOS/g coating [dry basis]) initially reduced >3 and 1 log CFU/g of L. monocytogenes and total aerobic microorganisms in smoked salmon, respectively. The WPI coatings incorporating LPOS prevented the growth of L. monocytogenes in smoked salmon at 4 °C and 10 °C for 35 d and 14 d, respectively. The tensile properties, oxygen permeability, and color of WPI films were not significantly changed by incorporation of LPOS (P >0.05).     

Evaluation of lactic acid and monolaurin to controlListeria monocytogeneson Stracchino cheese

The behaviour ofListeria monocytogeneswas evaluated during storage of Italian Stracchino cheese dipped in lactic acid (1.4%) or surface treated with (1)-monolauroyl-(rac)-glycerol (monolaurin, 200 μg cm⁻²). The cheese was surface inoculated with approximately 5×10²cfu cm⁻²ofL. monocytogenes, and stored under vacuum at 5°C for 12 days. The lactic acid treatment resulted in lower counts (P<0.05) ofL. monocytogenescompared with counts on untreated cheese washed with water. When lactic-treated cheese was stored at 5°C, levels ofL. monocytogenesdid not change appreciably. Treating cheese with monolaurin also significantly reduced the number ofL. monocytogenes. Furthermore, 12 day counts were less than the untreated control.     

Predictive Modeling for Growth of Non‐ and Cold‐adapted Listeria monocytogenes on Fresh‐cut Cantaloupe at Different Storage Temperatures

The aim of this study was to determine the growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes, with and without cold‐adaption, on fresh‐cut cantaloupe under different storage temperatures. Fresh‐cut samples, spot inoculated with a 4‐strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes (～3.2 log CFU/g), were exposed to constant storage temperatures held at 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 °C. All growth curves of L. monocytogenes were fitted to the Baranyi, modified Gompertz, and Huang models. Regardless of conditions under which cells grew, the time needed to reach 5 log CFU/g decreased with the elevated storage temperature. Experimental results showed that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the maximum growth rate k (log CFU/g h^?1) and lag phase duration λ (h) between the cultures of L. monocytogenes with or without previous cold‐adaption treatments. No distinct difference was observed in the growth pattern among 3 primary models at various storage temperatures. The growth curves of secondary modeling were fitted on an Arrhenius‐type model for describing the relationship between k and temperature of the L. monocytogenes on fresh‐cut cantaloupe from 10 to 30 °C. The root mean square error values of secondary models for non‐ and cold‐adapted cells were 0.018, 0.021, and 0.024, and 0.039, 0.026, and 0.017 at the modified Gompertz, Baranyi, and Huang model, respectively, indicating that these 3 models presented the good statistical fit. This study may provide valuable information to predict the growth of L. monocytogenes on fresh‐cut cantaloupes at different storage conditions.     

Development of a predictive model describing the growth of Listeria Monocytogenes in Kimbab

This study is to develop mathematical models to predict the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in kimbab as a function of storage temperature. Kimbab which was inoculated with L. monocytogenes were incubated at 4, 10, 15, and 30°C. The primary model showed a good fit (R²=0.9845 to 0.9967) to a Gompertz equation to obtain specific growth rates (SGR) and lag time (LT) at each temperature. The SGR of L. monocytogenes in the kimbab increased and LT decreased by increasing temperature. Secondary polynomial model was developed using PRISM general nonlinear analysis software for SGR and LT. The secondary models were 0.1479−(0.02457×Temp)+(0.001296 ×Temp²) for SGR and 312.8−(30.21×Temp)+(0.6654 ×Temp²) for LT. This secondary polynomial model was judged as appropriate based on the coefficient of determination (R² of the SGR and LT model=0.9995, 0.9556), the bias factor (B _f of the SGR and LT model=0.97, 0.94), and the accuracy factor (A _f of the SGR and LT model=1.10, 1.68). Reliable predictions of L. monocytogenes SGR and LT in kimbab were based on temperature.     

Effect of Salt Reduction on Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Meat and Poultry Systems

Abstract: Reducing sodium in food could have an effect on food safety. The objective was to determine differences in growth of Listeria monocytogenes in meat and poultry systems with salt substitutes. For phase 1, fresh ground beef, pork, and turkey with NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, MgCl₂, sea salt, or replacement salt added at 2.0% were inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival during 5 d at 4 °C to simulate a pre‐blend process. L. monocytogenes populations significantly decreased (0.41 log CFU/g) during the storage time in beef, but no differences (P > 0.05) were observed over time in pork or turkey. Salt type did not affect (P > 0.05) L. monocytogenes populations during pre‐blend storage. MgCl₂ and NaCl allowed significant growth of aerobic populations during storage. For phase 2, emulsified beef and pork products were processed with 2% NaCl, KCl, sea salt, or a NaCl/KCl blend and post‐process surface‐inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival at 4 °C for 28 d. Pork products showed significantly greater L. monocytogenes population growth at all sampling times (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) than beef products, but salt type had no effect on L. monocytogenes populations with sampling times pooled for data analysis. Although salt types had no impact on L. monocytogenes populations in preblend and emulsified meat products, pork and turkey preblends and emulsified pork had greater L. monocytogenes populations compared with beef products. These studies demonstrate that sodium may not affect the safety of preblends and emulsified meat and poultry products. Practical Application: odium reduction in food is an important topic because of sodium's unfavorable health effects. This research shows that reducing sodium in pre‐blends and emulsified meat and poultry products would have no effect on Listeria monocytogenes populations, but replacement of NaCl with MgCl₂ may affect growth of aerobic populations.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on raw salmon fillets by pulsed UV-light treatment

The efficacy of pulsed UV‐light to inactivate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A on salmon fillets was investigated in this study by evaluating the effects of treatment times and distance from the UV strobe. The sterilization system generated 5.6 J cm^?2 per pulse at the lamp surface for an input voltage of 3800 V and three pulses per second. Skin or muscle side inoculated salmon fillet (8 cm × 1.5 cm) in a Petri dish was placed on shelf at three different distances from the UV strobe; 3, 5, and 8 cm. At each distance, the pulsed UV‐light treatment was performed for 15, 30, 45, and 60 s. For E. coli O157:H7, maximum log₁₀ reduction was 1.09 log₁₀ CFU g^?1 on muscle side at 8 cm for 60‐s treatment, whereas 0.86 log₁₀ CFU g^?1 reduction on skin at 5 cm for 30‐s treatment. For L. monocytogenes Scott A, maximum reduction was 1.02 log₁₀ CFU g^?1 at 8 cm for 60‐s treatment on skin side, whereas 0.74 log₁₀ CFU g^?1 reduction on muscle at 8 cm for 60‐s treatment. The fillet's surface temperature increased up to 100degrC within 60‐s treatment time. Therefore, some fish samples were overheated after 30 and 45 s at 3‐ and 5‐cm distances from light source, respectively, which resulted in visual colour and quality changes. Overall, this study demonstrated that about one log reduction (c. 90%) of E. coli O157:H7 or L. monocytogenes could be achieved at 60‐s treatment at 8 cm distance without affecting the quality.     

Antimicrobial activity of buckwheat starch films containing zinc oxide nanoparticles against Listeria monocytogenes on mushrooms

Buckwheat starch (BS) films containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO‐N; 0%, 1.5%, 3% and 4.5%) were prepared, and their physical, optical and antimicrobial properties were examined. As ZnO‐N content increased from 0% to 4.5%, TS increased from 14.99 to 19.09 MPa and E decreased from 25.60% to 20.65%. In addition, L* and a* values decreased, whereas b*, ΔE and opacity increased. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the BS/ZnO‐N films had the reductions of 2.96–3.74 log CFU mL^?1 against Listeria monocytogenes after 8 h based on viable cell count assay. The BS film containing 3% ZnO‐N, an optimal concentration chosen in this study, was applied to fresh‐cut mushroom packaging, and the film exhibited antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, resulting in a reduction of 0.86 log CFU g^?1 after 6 days of storage. Thus, these results indicate that the BS/ZnO‐N film can be used as a biodegradable packaging material.     

Control of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination in Ready‐to‐Eat Meat Products

The ubiquitous nature of Listeria monocytogenes and its ability to grow at refrigerated temperature makes L. monocytogenes a significant threat to the safety of ready‐to‐eat (RTE) meat products. The contamination by L. monocytogenes in RTE meat primarily occurs during slicing and packaging after cooking. The effectiveness of post‐package decontamination technology such as in‐package thermal pasteurization, irradiation, and high‐pressure processing are discussed. Formulating meat products with antimicrobial additives is another common approach to control L. monocytogenes in RTE meat. Irradiation is an effective technology to eliminate L. monocytogenes but can influence the quality of RTE meat products significantly. The effect of irradiation or the combination of irradiation and antimicrobials on the survival of L. monocytogenes and the quality of RTE meat is discussed.     

Inactivation of foodborne pathogens in ready-to-eat salad using UV-C irradiation

To examine the applicability of ultraviolet (UV)-C irradiation on the inactivation of foodborne pathogen in ready-to-eat salad, it was inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes and then irradiated with UV-C light. Radiation dose required for 90% reduction (d _R) values of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were determined to be 0.21 and 2.48 J/m², respectively. Foodborne pathogen populations significantly (p<0.05) decreased with increasing UV-C irradiation. UV-C irradiation at 8,000 J/m² reduced the populations of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes on ready-to-eat salad by 2.16 and 2.57 log CFU/g, respectively.     

Multiplex PCR identification of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from milk and milk‐processing environments

A multiplex PCR procedure based on genes iap (coding for the invasion‐associated 60 kDa protein or p60) and hly (coding for listeriolysin O) of Listeria monocytogenes was to used to investigate the status of its contamination along the major milk‐processing environments. Duplex PCR amplified fragments of the iap gene at about 1.45 kb from all strains of major Listeria spp. tested and a 420 bp fragment of hly from L. monocytogenes reference strains. With triplex PCR, all L. monocytogenes strains exhibited a 420 bp fragment of hly as well as a 700 bp fragment of iap instead of its 1.45kb PCR product. The tentative L. monocytogenes isolates (n = 27) out of 566 samples of milk and milk‐processing environments in the PALCAM agar from cultures of buffered listeria enrichment broth were further subjected to both API and triplex PCR identification. Both methods identified the same 20 isolates as L. monocytogenes. The triplex PCR procedure detected as low as 3.2 × 10¹ cfu mL^?1 of listerial cells even in the presence of L. innocua (10⁸ cfu mL^?1). It could detect 1.4 × 10² listerial cells mL^?1 directly from milk artificially contaminated with the bacteria. Lower levels of L. monocytogenes cells in milk (1.45 × 10¹ to 1.45 × 10⁰ cfu mL^?1) could be detectable if the inoculated milk samples were cultured for 3–6 h. The bacterium was found not only in raw milk, sewage water and vessel surfaces but also in pasteurized milk. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Listeria monocytogenes: A Target for Bacteriophage Biocontrol

Listeria monocytogenes is a growing concern in the food industry as it is the causative agent of human listeriosis. There are many research articles concerning the growth, survival, and diversity of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from food‐related sources, elucidating the difficulty in controlling these bacteria in a food‐processing facility. Bacteriophage biocontrol of L. monocytogenes strains was introduced in 2006, through the first commercial bacteriophage product targeting L. monocytogenes ListShield^TM. This review focuses on the use of bacteriophage biocontrol to target L. monocytogenes in the food industry, specifically direct application of the bacteriophages to food products. In addition, we discuss characteristics of these bacteria that will have a significant influence on the effective treatment of bacteriophages such as genetic diversity between strains prevalent in one facility. There are many positive results of phage treatments targeting L. monocytogenes in food; however, success of in vitro studies might not be reproducible in practice. Future studies should focus on creating experimental design that will imitate the conditions found in the food industry, such as a stressed state of the targeted bacteria. In situ evaluation of bacteriophage treatment of L. monocytogenes will also be necessary because the presence of these bacteria in a processing facility can vary greatly regarding genetic diversity. The potential use of phages in the food‐processing facility as a biosanitizer for L. monocytogenes, as well as the use of lysins to target these bacteria should also be explored. Despite the exciting research avenues that have to be explored, current research shows that biocontrol of L. monocytogenes is feasible and has potential to positively impact the food industry.     

Application of the Weibull model to describe inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli by citric and lactic acid at different temperatures

Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli by citric (10‐150 g L^?1) and lactic (1‐60 mL L^?1) acids at different temperatures (4, 20, 40 °C) has been investigated. Bactericidal effect of both acids was dependent on time and temperature of exposure and acid concentration. Survival curves of L. monocytogenes treated by lactic acid were concave downward and those treated by citric acid were linear. On the other hand, survival curves of E. coli treated by both organic acids were concave upward. Shape of survival curves depended on the type of acid but not on the treatment temperature. A mathematical model based on the Weibull distribution accurately described the kinetics of inactivation of both microorganisms by both acids. This model allowed quantification and comparison of the acid resistance of L. monocytogenes and E. coli. Lactic acid was more effective than citric acid and E. coli was more sensitive to both acids than L. monocytogenes. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Filling Type and Heating Method on Prevalence of Listeria species and Listeria monocytogenes in Dumplings Produced in Poland

The count of Listeria monocytogenes was determined, before and after heat treatment, in 200 samples of dumplings of 9 brands and with different types of stuffing. Analyses were conducted according to ISO 11290–1 standard and with real‐time PCR method. The highest count of L. monocytogenes was found in meat dumplings (10² to 10⁴ CFU/g), whereas products with white cheese‐potato stuffing and vegetable‐mushroom stuffing contained significantly less Listeria, 20 to 80 and 5 to 32 CFU/g, respectively. In cooled meat dumplings the extent of contamination depended significantly on the producer. In addition, a significant (P < 0.05) correlation was determined between contamination level and meat content in the stuffing (rho = 0.418), especially in stuffing containing pork meat (0.464), contrary to beef‐containing stuffing (0.284). Heating dumplings in boiling water for 2 min completely eliminated L. monocytogenes in meat dumplings. In contrast, the microwave heating applied for 2 min at 600 W only reduced the count of L. monocytogenes by 1 to 2 logs. Hence, the microwave heating failed to reduce the risk of infection with this pathogen below the level permissible in the EU regulation, especially in the most contaminated samples. In this case, the efficacy of microwave heating was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the initial count of L. monocytogenes (rho = 0.626), then by meat content in the stuffing (0.476), and to the lowest extent—by the type of meat (0.415 to 0.425). However, no Listeria sp. and L. monocytogenes were isolated from cooked dumplings with fruits (strawberries or blueberries).     

Effect of Hops Beta Acids on the Survival of Unstressed‐ or Acid‐Stress‐Adapted‐Listeria Monocytogenes and on the Quality and Sensory Attributes of Commercially Cured Ham Slices

This study evaluated the antilisterial activity of hops beta acids (HBA) and their impact on the quality and sensory attributes of ham. Commercially cured ham slices were inoculated with unstressed‐ and acid‐stress‐adapted (ASA)‐L. monocytogenes (2.2 to 2.5 log CFU/cm²), followed by no dipping (control), dipping in deionized (DI) water, or dipping in a 0.11% HBA solution. This was followed by vacuum or aerobic packaging and storage (7.2 °C, 35 or 20 d). Samples were taken periodically during storage to check for pH changes and analyze the microbial populations. Color measurements were obtained by dipping noninoculated ham slices in a 0.11% HBA solution, followed by vacuum packaging and storage (4.0 °C, 42 d). Sensory evaluations were performed on ham slices treated with 0.05% to 0.23% HBA solutions, followed by vacuum packaging and storage (4.0 °C, 30 d). HBA caused immediate reductions of 1.2 to 1.5 log CFU/cm² (P < 0.05) in unstressed‐ and ASA‐L. monocytogenes populations on ham slices. During storage, the unstressed‐L. monocytogenes populations on HBA‐treated samples were 0.5 to 2.0 log CFU/cm² lower (P < 0.05) than control samples and those dipped in DI water. The lag‐phase of the unstressed‐L. monocytogenes population was extended from 3.396 to 7.125 d (control) to 7.194 to 10.920 d in the HBA‐treated samples. However, the ASA‐L. monocytogenes population showed resistance to HBA because they had a higher growth rate than control samples and had similar growth variables to DI water‐treated samples during storage. Dipping in HBA solution did not adversely affect the color or sensory attributes of the ham slices stored in vacuum packages. These results are useful for helping ready‐to‐eat meat processors develop operational procedures for applying HBA on ham slices.