Effects of Lactic and Acetic Acid on Survival of Salmonella enteritidis During Refrigerated and Frozen Storage of Chicken Meats

Chicken leg and breast meat samples inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis 4–5 log most probable number (MPN)/cm²] were dipped into lactic acid (LA; 1% and 3%) and acetic acid (AA; 1% and 2%) solutions for 10 min. After packaging, samples were stored at 4 °C (10 days) or −18 °C (6 months). Immediately after dipping into 1% LA, 3% LA, 1% AA, and 2% AA solutions, S. enteritidis counts on leg meat samples were reduced by 0.75, 1.21, 0.85, and 0.95 log MPN/cm², while the reductions were 0.97, 1.72, 0.92, and 1.58 log MPN/cm² on breast meat samples, respectively. The differences between the water-washed control and the acid-treated groups for Salmonella counts were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Salmonella counts on leg meat samples treated with 1% LA, 1% AA, and 2% AA were reduced by 0.54–1.52 log MPN/cm² (P < 0.05) during storage at 4 °C. However, for the breast meat samples, only Salmonella counts of water-washed controls were significantly reduced during refrigerated storage (P < 0.05). S. enteritidis counts on organic acid-treated samples were reduced by 0.13–0.55 log MPN/cm² during storage at −18 °C for 6 months, while the reduction on the water-washed controls was 0.64 log MPN/cm². It can be concluded that lactic or acetic acid treatment could be useful especially for reducing the initial Salmonella contamination. On the other hand, this pathogen could survive on poultry meats during refrigerated and frozen storage even following lactic or acetic acid decontamination.