Byssochlamys nivea inactivation in pineapple juice and nectar using high pressure cycles

The aim of this work was to assess the inactivation of Byssochlamys nivea ascospores in pineapple juice and nectar by combining pressure sequences involving high pressure cycles with relatively mild thermal processing. The effect of 550 and 600 MPa sustained pressures (holding time of 15 min), combinations of sustained pressures and pressure pulses (holding time of 10 s), and pressure cycles (two, three and five cycles of 550 and 600 MPa for 7.5, 5 and 3 min, respectively), at 20, 40, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C were compared. B. nivea ascospores were inactivated by applying sustained a pressure of 600 MPa at 90 °C for 5 min (juice) and 15 min (nectar), and three and five cycles of pressure at 600 MPa and 80 °C for nectar with holding time of 5 and 3 min, respectively, and in all pressure cycles for juice. In general, pressure cycles were more effective for inactivating B. nivea ascospores than the application of sustained high pressures.     

Pectinolytic and cellulolytic activities of heat resistant fungi and their macerating effects on mango and African mango

Five heat resistant fungi (HRF), Neosartorya fischeri, N fischeri var spinosa, N quadricincta, Paecilomyces varioti and Byssochlamys nivea, were studied for production of pectinolytic and cellulolytic activities. All isolates produced considerable hydrolase, lyase and pectinesterase activities. Hydrolase activities were significantly higher in fruit tissue (mango and African mango) media than in pectin medium (P < 0.01) when assayed by both cup plate and viscometric methods. Activities produced in both fruit media were comparable in N fischeri, N fischeri var spinosa and P varioti but not in N quadricincta and B nivea. All isolates produced greater lyase activities in pectin medium than in fruit tissue media except for N quadricincta, while the converse was the case for pectinesterase. P varioti did not utilise carboxymethyl cellulose or produce cellulase activity. Other isolates produced cellulase with B nivea producing the greatest activity. Each isolate caused considerable maceration of artificially inoculated mango and African mango fruits, which is not directly related to measurable pectinase or cellulase. The possibility of co‐operation between pectinase and cellulase activities in the disintegration of fruit tissues is discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Role of quantity and quality of fat in meat models inoculated with Listeria innocua or Salmonella Typhimurium treated by high pressure and refrigerated stored

Several variables can influence the effects of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP), but the role of fat in the treated sample is still uncertain. We designed a model by which controlling the known variables we could elucidate that role. We applied 400 MPa for 2 min to minced chicken samples inoculated with Listeria innocua and Salmonella Typhimurium mixed with 10% and 20% of three fat types with different fatty acid composition. Microbial counts were performed during 60 days of refrigerated storage either at 2 °C or 8 °C.Immediately after HPP bacterial growth was independent of the type and percentage of fat content, but a possible effect of type of fat could be observed after 60 days of cold storage.     

Extraordinary Heat Resistance of Talaromyces flavus and Neosartorya fischeri Ascospores in Fruit Products

Ascospores of three strains each of Talaromyces flavus, Neosartorya fischeri and Byssochlamys fulva/nivea were analyzed for resistance to thermal inactivation in five fruit-based (blueberry, cherry, peach, raspberry and strawberry) products. D_91°C values for two strains of T. flavus ranged from 2.9–5.4 min; D_88°C values ranged from 7.1–22.3 min. Ascospores of N. fischeri were somewhat less heat resistant; D_91°C values were < 2.0 min and D_88°C were 4.2–16.2 min. Ascospores of Byssochlamys spp. were considerably less heat resistant. The type of fruit product did not appear to substantially influence rates of thermal inactivation. No heat-resistant ascospores of T. flavus or N. fischeri, i.e., ascospores capable of surviving 15 min at 75°C, were formed on fruit products stored at 10°C for 137 days. However, T. flavus and N. fischeri formed ascospores on cherry substrate stored at 25°C within 65 and 137 days, respectively, that survived 15 min at 88°C.     

Baroprotective effect of increased solute concentrations on yeast and moulds during high pressure processing

The baroprotective effect of increasing solute concentrations on yeast cells and fungal conidia subjected to high pressure processing (HPP) was studied. Suspensions of yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia anomala and Hanseniaspora uvarum) or fungal spores (Penicillium expansum, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizopus stolonifer) in citrate phosphate buffer formulated with sucrose at 40, 50 and 60 °Brix, or with glycerol and NaCl at equivalent water activity (a_w) values (0.925, 0.903 and 0.866 a_w) were subjected to 600 MPa pressure for varying times, and then were enumerated by spread plate technique to assess survival. There was an increasing resistance to inactivation by high pressure with an increase in solute concentration. The two moulds with easily wetted spores, R. stolonifer and F. oxysporum, showed strongest resistance to HPP at 0.866 a_w. Differing responses to the three solutes were observed among the fungal species tested, indicating that the chemical nature of the solute may also be important in protecting yeasts and moulds during and after pressure treatment. Sucrose had a stronger baroprotective effect for S. cerevisiae than the other solutes, at two of the three investigated a_ws. For P. expansum at 0.903 a_w, NaCl gave the best protective effect. Scanning electron microscopy of HPP treated cells showed the protective effects of increased sucrose concentration. The results reported here have practical implications for the food industry in the application of HPP for production of fruit preparations or syrups, and should be taken in account in establishing efficient process design.

Industrial relevance

As high concentrations of sugar, salt and glycerol provide protection for yeasts and moulds during high pressure processing, foods containing high levels of solutes may need longer processing times or higher pressures to achieve inactivation of these fungi.     

Ultra-high pressure homogenization treatment combined with lysozyme for controlling Lactobacillus brevis contamination in model system

It was studied the reduction of a population of Lactobacillus brevis in phosphate buffer by the combination of ultra-high pressure homogenization (UHPH) treatment and the use of lysozyme as antimicrobial. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of lysozyme against L. brevis was 50 mg.L^− 1. The observed inhibition was transitory and the growth curve showed that lysozyme addition was able to delay the L. brevis growth for 2 days. Lysozyme added at MIC concentration to a suspension of L. brevis caused a reduction of 1 logarithmic cycle after two hours of contact. The UHPH treatment against L. brevis resulted in a reduction of 7 log cycles at 200 MPa. Lysozyme was resistant to UHPH (200 MPa), without loss of muramidase activity or significant loss of antimicrobial power.A combined treatment was applied using 50 mg.L^− 1 of lysozyme and pressure between 150 and 170 MPa; the combined effect showed a reduction of about 6 logarithmic cycles and the unaltered count of L. brevis after pressure treatment for a week, with the samples stored at room temperature (25 °C).

Industrial relevance

Ultra-high pressure homogenization is an alternative process for cold pasteurization that can be used to inactivate the common spoilage microorganisms of the juice and beer industry, for example, L. brevis. Combined treatment with lysozyme increases the pressure effect and, consequently, reduces the level of pressure required for treatment. The possibility of operating with lower pressures requires less robust equipment, which makes the utilization of lower-cost equipment possible.     

The fate of Listeria monocytogenes during the manufacture of Camembert-type cheese: A comparison between raw milk and milk treated with high hydrostatic pressure

Camembert-type cheese was produced from: raw bovine milk; raw milk inoculated with 2 or 4 log CFU/ml Listeria monocytogenes; raw milk inoculated with L. monocytogenes and subsequently pressure-treated at 500 MPa for 10 min at 20 °C; or uninoculated raw milk pressure-treated under these conditions. Cheeses produced from both pressure-treated milk and untreated milk had the typical composition, appearance and aroma of Camembert. Curd and cheese made from inoculated, untreated milk contained large numbers of L. monocytogenes throughout production. An initial inoculum of 1.95 log CFU/ml in milk increased to 4.52 log CFU/g in the curd and remained at a high level during ripening, with 3.85 log CFU/g in the final cheese. Pressure treatment inactivated L. monocytogenes in the raw milk at both inoculum levels and the pathogen was not detected in any of the final cheeses produced from pressure-treated milk. Therefore high pressure may be useful to inactivate L. monocytogenes in raw milk that is to be used for the production of soft, mould-ripened cheese.

Industrial relevance

This paper demonstrates the potential of high pressure (HP) for treatment of raw milk to be used in the manufacture of soft cheeses. HP treatment significantly reduced the level of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk and so allowed the production of safer non-thermally processed camembert-like soft cheese.     

Indigenous microorganisms from iceberg lettuce with adherence and antagonistic potential for use as protective culture

The antagonistic effect of the indigenous microflora on pathogens was investigated by using Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua as challenge microorganisms. 18 strains strongly adherent to the leaves of iceberg lettuce were selected and their taxonomic status was determined with the aid of API NE20, BBL CRYSTAL™ E/NF systems and 16 S rDNA sequencing. In the majority of cases (15/19), the identification by biochemical testing did not agree with that of 16 S rDNA sequencing. Six strains exerted antagonistic effects on S. Typhimurium and L. innocua, when overnight cultures or cell free culture supernatants were investigated in the agar diffusion test. In vivo experiments showed that the inoculation of lettuce with P. putida LTH 5878 by dipping and pre-incubation decreased the numbers of S. Typhimurium, L. innocua and S. aureus below the level of detection (< 100 cfu/g) after storage for 7–8 d at 4 °C. The dependency of the antagonistic efficacy on the numbers of P. putida LTH 5878 was determined using point inoculation. The study of the effect of the pseudomonades/pathogen ratio on the reduction of pathogens showed that the antagonistic activity of Pseudomonas is stronger against S. Typhimurium than against L. innocua. A major reduction was achieved for the counts of L. innocua at ratios of greater than 100:1 whereas for S. Typhimurium a ratio of 0.1:1 was already effective. The sensory properties of the inoculated and stored lettuce were in general better than those of the untreated control.

Industrial relevance

The increasing importance of minimally processed ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables has initiated many studies using surface treatments for microbial decontamination. However, most treatments such as the use of chlorine or ozone have not proven highly effective or desirable. This study is of high relevance because it evaluates the potential of endogenous microbial populations with high surface adherence properties as a competitive tool against pathogenic microorganisms. This is an intriguing concept which deserves further development because of its potential as an new biological food preservation process.     

Assessment of the microbiological safety of salad vegetables and sauces from kebab take-away restaurants in the United Kingdom

The purpose of this study was to establish the microbiological safety of salad vegetables and sauces served in kebab take-away restaurants. Comparison with published microbiological guidelines revealed that 4.7% of 1213 salad vegetable samples were of unsatisfactory microbiological quality due to Escherichia coli and/or Staphylococcus aureus levels at ≥10² cfu g⁻¹. Another 0.3% of salad samples were of unacceptable quality due to S. aureus at ≥10⁴ cfu g⁻¹ (2 samples) or the presence of Salmonella Kentucky (1 sample). Cucumber was the most contaminated salad vegetable with regards to unsatisfactory levels of E. coli (6.0%) or S. aureus (4.5%). Five percent of 1208 sauce samples were of unsatisfactory microbiological quality due to E. coli, S. aureus at ≥10² cfu g⁻¹ and/or Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp. at ≥10⁴ cfu g⁻¹. A further 0.6% of sauce samples were of unacceptable quality due to Bacillus spp. (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus licheniformis) at ≥10⁵ cfu g⁻¹ or the presence of Salmonella Agbeni (1 sample). More samples of chilli sauce (8.7%) were of unsatisfactory or unacceptable microbiological quality than any other sauce types. The results emphasize the need for good hygiene practices in kebab take-away restaurants handling these types of ready-to-eat products.     

Preparation of fungal conidia impacts their susceptibility to inactivation by ethanol vapours

A common protocol employed for the preparation of conidia employs flooding a fungal colony grown on semi-solid media under optimum conditions with an aqueous solution. In contrast, conidia produced in a natural environment are usually not hydrated when disseminated in air and can be produced under water stress. In order to simulate the latter conditions, cultures were grown at different water activities and conidia were dry-harvested on the lid by turning the dishes upside-down then gently tapping the bottom of the box. This study aimed at assessing the effect of the preparation of fungal conidia on their inactivation by ethanol vapours. Firstly ethanol vapours (either 0.30 or 0.45 kPa) were applied to conidia obtained from the standardised protocol and to dry-harvested conidia for some species of Penicillium. While all dry-harvested conidia remained viable after 24 h of treatment, about 1.0, 3.5 and 2.5 log₁₀ reductions were observed for hydrated conidia of Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum respectively. Secondly ethanol vapours (0.67 kPa) were applied to dry-harvested conidia obtained from cultures grown at 0.99 a_w and at reduced water activities. For all species, the susceptibility to ethanol vapours of conidia obtained at 0.99 a_w was significantly greater than that of conidia obtained at reduced water activities. Conidia produced in a natural environment under non-optimal conditions would be much more resistant to ethanol vapours than those produced in the laboratory. This phenomenon may be due to a reduced intracellular water activity of dry-harvested conidia.     

Comparison of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure to inactivate foodborne viruses

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) and hydrodynamic pressure (HDP), in combination with chemical treatments, was evaluated for inactivation of foodborne viruses and non-pathogenic surrogates in a pork sausage product. Sausages were immersed in distilled water, 100-ppm EDTA, or 2% lactoferrin, and then inoculated with feline calicivirus (FCV), hepatitis A virus (HAV) or bacteriophage (MS2, phiX174, or T₄). Each piece was packaged individually and subjected to pressure by either HDP, HPP (500 MPa, 5 min, 4 °C), or control (no pressure). On sausages immersed in water, HPP and HDP significantly (P < 0.05) reduced titers of FCV by 2.89 and 2.70 log₁₀ TCID₅₀/ml, and HAV by log₁₀ 3.23 and 1.10, respectively, when compared to non-pressure-treated controls. Titers of T₄ (1.48 and 1.10 log₁₀ PFU/g) and MS2 (1.46 and 0.96 log₁₀ PFU/g) were also significantly reduced by HPP and HDP treatments, respectively, in combination with water. Inoculation of viruses and bacteriophage on a meat product may have protected viruses from complete inactivation by pressure treatments.

Industrial relevance

This is the first study to directly compare hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure technologies to inactivate microorganisms. This is also the first study to examine the inactivation of viruses and bacteriophages by pressure technology in a deli meat product. This study shows that viruses attached to meat surfaces may be protected from complete inactivation by hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure treatments, and these findings require more investigation into the survival of viruses in deli meat products.     

Effect of an additionally introduced degQ gene on di-d-fructofuranosyl 2,6′:2′,6 anhydride (DFA IV) production by recombinant Bacillus subtilis in a single culture production system

Di-d-fructofuranosyl 2,6′:2′,6 anhydride (DFA IV) was produced directly from sucrose using a single culture of recombinant Bacillus subtilis 168 carrying the levan fructotransferase (lft) gene. In this study, three plasmids carrying the degQ36 gene, which is a degQ allele of B. subtilis (degQ36) with a degQ36 mutation on its promoter, were constructed to overproduce intact DegQ in B. subtilis 168. The transformant B. subtilis/pHT-D36 (with the degQ36 gene) consumed sucrose and produced levan at a higher rate than B. subtilis/pHT43 (without the degQ36 gene). The transformant B. subtilis/pLFT-GD36, carrying the lft and degQ36 genes, also consumed sucrose at a higher rate and produced more DFA IV than B. subtilis/pLFT-G, carrying the lft but without the degQ36 gene. B. subtilis/pLFT-GD36 produced 43.5 g/l of DFA IV and consumed 240 g/l of sucrose (96% of added sucrose) by 72 h of cultivation, whereas B. subtilis/pLFT-G produced 23.4 g/l of DFA IV with 76.9 g/l of sucrose still remaining in the system. Sucrose-inducible expression vectors were also constructed, which made it possible to produce DFA IV without IPTG induction. Using these vectors, sucrose consumption rates were enhanced and DFA IV production was increased upon introduction of the degQ36 gene. From these results, it can be concluded that the additionally introduced regulatory gene, degQ, was able to stimulate sucrose conversion to levan, and therefore increased DFA IV production in this system.     

Effect of modified atmosphere and temperature abuse on the growth from spores and cereulide production of Bacillus weihenstephanensis in a cooked chilled meat sausage

The effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the germination and growth of toxin producing psychrotolerant Bacillus spp is not well described. A model agar system mimicking a cooked meat product was used in initial experiments. Incubation at refrigeration temperature of 8 °C for 5 weeks of 26 Bacillus weihenstephanensis including two emetic toxin (cereulide) producing strains showed that B. weihenstephanensis is sensitive to MAP containing CO₂. The sensitivity to 20% CO₂ was dependent on strain and oxygen level, being increased when oxygen was excluded from the MAP. Growth from spores was observed at the earliest within 2 weeks when 20% CO₂ was combined with 2% O₂ and in 3 weeks when combined with “0”% O₂ (the remaining atmosphere was made up from N₂). Results were validated in a cooked meat sausage model for two non-emetic and one emetic B. weihenstephanensis strain. The packaging film oxygen transfer rates (OTR) were 1.3 and 40 ml/m²/24 h and the atmospheres were 2% O₂/20% CO₂ and “0”% O₂/20% CO₂. Oxygen availability had a large impact on the growth from spores in the MAP meat sausage, only the most oxygen restricted condition (OTR of 1.3 ml/m²/24 h and “0”% O₂/20 % CO₂) inhibited growth of the three strains during 4 weeks storage at 8 °C. Cereulide production was undetectable during storage at 8 °C irrespective of choice of the MAP (quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry). MAP storage at 8 °C for 1 and 3 weeks followed by opening of packages and temperature abuse for 1.5 h daily at 20 °C during 1 week resulted in increased cell counts and variable cereulide production in the meat sausage. A pre-history at 8 °C for 1 week in MAP with OTR of 1.3 or 40 ml/m²/24 h and 2% O₂ resulted in cereulide concentrations of 0.816 – 1.353 µg/g meat sausage, while a pre-history under the most oxygen restricted condition (OTR of 1.3 ml/m²/24 h, “0”% O₂/20 % CO₂) resulted in minimal cereulide production (0.004 µg/g meat sausage) at abuse condition. Extension of MAP storage at 8 °C for 3 weeks followed by abuse resulted in a substantially reduced cereulide production.Data demonstrates that MAP can be used to inhibit growth of a psychrotolerant toxin producing Bacillus spp. during chill storage at 8 °C, and substantially reduce the risk of emetic food poisoning at abuse condition. Results are of relevance for improving safety of ready to eat processed chilled foods of extended durability.     

Effects of high pressure processing on antioxidant activity, and total carotenoid content and availability, in vegetables

High pressure processing (HPP) is a relatively new food preservation processing technology that enhances food safety and shelf-life without compromising organoleptic qualities. There has been little research on the impact of HPP on the nutritional and health-promoting properties of foods to date and most of it has focused on juices and purees of fruit such as oranges and tomatoes. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of HPP treatment at two pressure levels (400 MPa; 600 MPa) on antioxidant activity, total carotenoid content and carotenoid availability in vitro, of three commonly consumed vegetables. Antioxidant capacity and total carotenoid content differed between vegetables but were unaffected by HPP treatment. In vitro availability of specific carotenoids also varied greatly between vegetables (3–35%). HPP altered availability of carotenoids according to the type of vegetable treated and processing pressure applied, however the magnitude of the responses was minor.

Industrial relevance

This study provides further scientific evidence of the benefits of high pressure processing in retaining the nutritional attributes of fresh foods. Antioxidant activity and levels of carotenoids before and after exposure to high pressures (up to 600 MPa for 2 min) were essentially no different. Also, the data suggest that micronutrients and phytochemicals in certain vegetables may be made more bioavailable by high pressure treatment. From a nutritional perspective, high pressure processing is an attractive food preservation technology and clearly offers opportunities for horticultural and food processing industries to meet the growing demand from consumers for healthier food products.     

Environmental factors modify carbon nutritional patterns and niche overlap between Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides strains from maize

This study examined the utilization patterns of key carbon sources (CS, 24: including key sugars, amino acids and fatty acids) in maize by strains of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides under different water activity (a_w, 0.87–0.98 a_w) and temperature (20–35 °C) values and compared the niche overlap indices (NOI) that estimate the in vitro CS utilization profiles [Wilson, M., Lindow, S.E., 1994. Coexistence among epiphytic bacterial populations mediated through nutritional resource partitioning. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60, 4468–4477.]. The ability to grow in these key CS in minimal media was studied for 120 h in 12 h steps. The NOI was calculated for inter-species (F. verticillioides–A. flavus) and for intra-species (A. flavus–A. flavus) using CS utilization patterns over the range of interacting environmental conditions. 30 °C, over the whole a_w range examined, was found to be optimal for utilization of the maximum number of CS by A. flavus. In contrast, for F. verticillioides this was more so at 20 °C; 25 °C allowed a suboptimal usage of CS for both species. NOIs confirmed the nutritional dominance of A. flavus at 30 °C, especially at lower a_w levels and that of F. verticillioides at 20 °C, mainly at 0.95 a_w. In other conditions of a_w, based on CS utilization patterns, the data indicated that A. flavus and F. verticillioides occupied different ecological niches. The variability in nutritional sources utilization between A. flavus strains was not related to their ability to produce aflatoxins (AFs). This type of data helps to explain the nutritional dominance of fungal species and strains under different environmental conditions. This could be useful in trying to find appropriate natural biocontrol microorganisms to compete with these mycotoxigenic species.     

Heat resistance of Byssochlamys nivea, Byssochlamys fulva and Neosartorya fischeri isolated from canned tomato paste

Cultures of heat resistant molds (20) were isolated from spoiled canned tomato paste in order to estimate the pasteurization efficiency applied to commercially canned products. Ascospores of nine strains grown on malt extract agar for 30 days at 30°C, survived heating at 85°C for 20 min when initial numbers were near 10⁵/mL. Of these heat resistant strains were identified: two Byssochlamys nivea, three Byssochlamys fulva and four Neosartorya fischeri strains. Ascospores of all cultures were more heat resistant in tomato juice than in phosphate buffer. Thermal death rate curves were nonlogarithmic but approached logarithmic death rates at higher temperatures. The thermal destruction time for 1 log₁₀ at 90°C was 1.5 min for a Byssochlamys nivea strain, 8.1 min for a Byssochlamys fulva strain and 4.4 to 6.6 min for Neosartorya fischeri strains.     

Sensory perception and quality attributes of high pressure processed carrots in comparison to raw, sous-vide and cooked carrots

The application of high pressure processing (HPP) has shown its potential to reduce quality losses of many fruit and vegetable products in comparison to other traditional technologies such as cooking. To identify further opportunities of the application of high pressures in vegetable pieces, the sensory perception and correlation to quality parameters were investigated on carrot sticks (used as model product) submitted to high pressure treatments (600 MPa, 2 min) and compared to other traditional treatments such as sous-vide (90 °C, 5 min), cooked (100 °C, 20 min) and unprocessed (raw). The results indicated that HPP carrots were not different from sous-vide carrots in many parameters such as: sweetness, green flavour and crunchy texture. Furthermore, high pressure carrots showed significantly higher intensity perception of orange colour and fibrousnesses to the rest of the treatments, while similar brightness to cooked carrots and green odour to raw.Throughout 14 days of storage at 4 °C, there was clear evidence that HPP samples could be preserved better in comparison to the rest of the treatments by not presenting any production of acetic acid (used as quality deterioration reference).Overall, sensory evaluation showed correlations to many quality measurements in this study, indicating similarities in hardness versus crunchiness perception and juiciness versus moisture perception between HPP and sous-vide samples. GC/MS and GC/MS-O results were also in agreement in most cases when identifying carrot volatile changes between the different treatments and the identification of the development of new compounds formed.Finally, the tissue structure observed by using Cryo-SEM microscopy, supported the similarities (between HPP and sous-vide) and differences (between treatments) of the quality parameters analysed in this research.

Industrial Relevance

Previous reports on HPP for food applications indicated that this technology will only be commercially successful if added value is achieved or if the product characteristic can be retained at a higher level as compared to thermally/traditionally processed foods. This work provides information on textural and chemical (volatile) changes as well as the sensorial perception of carrots which have undergone high pressure processing, as well as how those changes compare to the quality of both raw and thermally processed carrots. These results may be generally applicable to what could be expected to happen to other ‘hard’ tissue vegetable products produced by high pressure processing, over a refrigerated storage time of 14 days.     

Non-thermal pasteurization of fruit juices by combining high-intensity pulsed electric fields with natural antimicrobials

The effect of high-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) on the Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7 populations inoculated in apple, pear, orange and strawberry juices as influenced by treatment time and pulse frequency was investigated. Combinations of HIPEF (35 kV/cm, 4 μs pulse length in bipolar mode without exceeding 40 °C) with citric acid or cinnamon bark oil against these pathogenic microorganisms in fruit juices were also evaluated. Treatment time was the more influential factor on the microbial reduction in all the fruit juices analyzed. S. Enteritidis and E. coli O157:H7 were reduced by more than 5.0 log₁₀ units in orange juice treated by only HIPEF; whereas strawberry, apple and pear juices were pasteurized when HIPEF was combined with citric acid at 0.5, 1.5, 1.5%, respectively, or cinnamon bark oil at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.1%, respectively. Synergistic and additive killing effects against S. Enteritidis and E. coli O157:H7 in fruit juices by combining treatments were observed.

Industrial relevance

The use of high-intensity pulsed electric fields treatment as a non-thermal pasteurization method in combination with organic acids or essential oils is an effective process for eliminating S. Enteritidis and E. coli O157:H7 populations in fruit juices upper 5.0 log₁₀ reductions. Therefore, combinations of those treatments may help to ensure the microbiological safety in juice products, and to reduce the risk of food-borne illness caused by the consumption of these kinds of foods.     

Behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium in teewurst, a raw spreadable sausage

The fate of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, or Escherichia coli O157:H7 were separately monitored both in and on teewurst, a traditional raw and spreadable sausage of Germanic origin. Multi-strain cocktails of each pathogen (ca. 5.0 log CFU/g) were used to separately inoculate teewurst that was subsequently stored at 1.5, 4, 10, and 21 °C. When inoculated into commercially-prepared batter just prior to stuffing, in general, the higher the storage temperature, the greater the lethality. Depending on the storage temperature, pathogen levels in the batter decreased by 2.3 to 3.4, ca. 3.8, and 2.2 to 3.6 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, respectively, during storage for 30 days. When inoculated onto both the top and bottom faces of sliced commercially-prepared finished product, the results for all four temperatures showed a decrease of 0.9 to 1.4, 1.4 to 1.8, and 2.2 to 3.0 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, respectively, over the course of 21 days. With the possible exceptions for salt and carbohydrate levels, chemical analyses of teewurst purchased from five commercial manufacturers revealed only subtle differences in proximate composition for this product type. Our data establish that teewurst does not provide a favourable environment for the survival of E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, or L. monocytogenes inoculated either into or onto the product.     

Modulation of thermal resistance of ascospores of Neosartorya fischeri by acidulants and preservatives in mango and grape juice

Minimal thermal processing is desirable for near natural organoleptic and nutritional qualities of fruit based products. In the present investigation, the effect of heat (85°C) in combination with acidulants or common preservatives on inactivation of ascospores of Neosartorya fischeri, a heat resistant mould isolated from grapes, has been studied in mango and grape juice. The ascospores were found to survive for >300 min of heating at 70, 75 and 80°C in these fruit juices and complete inactivation required 120 min of heating at 85°C. The synergistic effect of heat and organic acids or preservatives in fruit juices was noticed. The thermal death rate (1/k_85°C) values did not vary much in the presence of lactic (20), malic (20) and citric (19) acids, but tartaric acid showed least inactivation effect (1/k_85°C=54 min) in mango juice. The 1/k_85°Cvalues for ascospores of N. fischeri in mango juice containing 0·1% of potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate or combination of both at 0·05% were found to be 44, 35 and 29 min respectively. These values were respectively, 32, 13 and 14 min in grape juice. Nearly 50 and 67% of the heating time was reduced by the use of potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (0·05% each) in mango and grape juice to inactivate 3 log number of ascospores of N. fischeri. These results may be useful in thermal processing of fruit juices.