Survival of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh and frozen strawberries

Cut or intact surfaces of fresh strawberries were spot inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of nalidixic-acid resistant Listeria monocytogenes (10(6) (low inoculum) and 10(8) (high inoculum) CFU per three-berry sample). Inoculated strawberries were dried for 1 h at 24 degrees C and were stored in loosely closed containers at 4 or 24 degrees C. An initial population reduction of approximately 0.6 and 1.2 log cycles, high and low inoculum, respectively, was observed on intact but not cut berries after the 1-h drying period. A decrease of 1.4 and 3.3 log cycles per intact sample was observed over 48 h for the high and low inoculum, respectively, when stored at 24 degrees C. When held at 4 degrees C, a reduction of approximately 3 log cycles per intact-berry sample was observed for both inocula over the 7-day storage period. Populations on cut surfaces remained constant at both temperatures and both inoculum densities throughout the storage period. Sliced, inoculated strawberries (6.7 log CFU/25-g sample) with or without 20% sucrose were frozen at -20+/-2 degrees C. After 28 days of frozen storage, populations of L. monocytogenes determined on tryptose phosphate agar supplemented with nalidixic acid (TPAN) had declined by 0 to 1.2 log cycles, with and without 20% sucrose, respectively. Counts on modified Oxford agar supplemented with nalidixic acid were significantly (P< or =0.05) lower (0.5 to 1.8 log CFU/g) than on TPAN indicating that some cell injury had occurred. Results of this study indicate that L. monocytogenes is capable of survival but not growth on the surface of fresh intact or cut strawberries throughout the expected shelf life of the fresh fruit and can survive on frozen strawberries for periods of at least 4 weeks. On whole strawberries held at 24 degrees C, significantly faster declines (P< or =0.05) of L. monocytogenes were observed when lower rather than higher inoculum levels were applied.