Effects of pH, cinnamaldehyde and heat-treatment time on spore viability of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris

A three variables–five levels central composite design was used to study the effects of pH (3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5), cinnamaldehyde (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 ppm) and heating temperature (80, 84, 88, 92 and 96 °C) on the spores of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in malt extract broth (MEB). The heat shock resulted in a slight decrease of spore number from 3.2 to 2.5 log CFU mL⁻¹ and occurred at 80–85 °C depending on the pH of the medium. Otherwise, cinnamaldehyde acted as an additional hurdle within the storage time; the critical amounts to be used were included in the range 41.35–44.42 ppm of cinnamaldehyde and were related positively to the pH, i.e. the critical amount of active compound decreased with the decreasing of the pH.