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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143135
Title: EFFECT OF SPICES AND ORGANIC ACIDS ON THE GROWTH OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS FROM SPORE INOCULA DURING COOLING OF SOUS-VIDE COOKED GROUND BEEF PRODUCTS

Author
item SABAH, J. - KANSAS STATE UNIV.
item Juneja, Vijay
item FUNG, D.Y. - KANSAS STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2003
Publication Date: 6/18/2003
Citation: Sabah, J.R., Juneja, V.K., Fung, D.C. 2003. Effect of spices and organic acids on the growth of Clostridium perfringens from spore inocula during cooling of sous-vide cooked ground beef products. (Abstract). Institute Food Technologists. 60C-6.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Heat treatments given to minimally processed food products are not sufficient to kill C. perfringens spores when present. Thus, the heat resistant spores may survive, germinate, outgrow and multiply into high numbers of vegetative cells if the rate and extent of cooling is inadequate. There is a need, therefore, to investigate if cooling periods could be extended without posing a food safety hazard from growth by more than 1 log10 of C. perfringens from spores. This study was conducted to assess combinations of a thermal treatment, organic acids, and spices for the control of C. perfringens during 15, 18, and 21 hr cooling procedures. Ground beef (73% lean) was inoculated with a three-strain spore cocktail of C. perfringens ATCC 10388, NCTC 8238, and NCTC 8239 at approximately 2 log10 spore/g. Meat (500g) was mixed with sodium tri-phosphate (0.5% w/w) and sodium chloride (1.5% w/w). Treatments consisted of the use of commercial solutions of sodium lactate or sodium citrate (2% w/w) alone or combined with powders of chili, garlic and herbs, curry, oregano, or clove (1% w/w). Vacuum-packaged ground beef was cooked at 75oC for 20 min and exponentially cooled from 54.4oC to 7.2oC in 15, 18, or 21 hr. All experiments were repeated twice. All treatments containing sodium citrate reduced C. perfringens populations in the range of 0.38 to 1.14 log10 cfu/g during 15 and 18 hr cooling, respectively. Treatments with spices alone increased C. perfringens population by 0.98 to 4.3 log10. Combinations of oregano with sodium lactate resulted in less than 1 log10 cfu/g growth of C. perfringens under any cooling scenario. Oregano in combination with organic acids can restrict C. perfringens growth during cooling. These findings will help the meat industry meet the USDA standard of no more than 1 log10 increase of C. perfringens in beef.