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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #290629
Title: Survival and growth parameters of Escherichia Coli 0157:H7, Salmonella Spp. and Listeria Monocytogenes on fresh-cut pieces prepared from whole cantaloupe treated with Lovit sanitizer

Author
item Ukuku, Dike
item Huang, Lihan

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2013
Publication Date: 7/15/2013
Citation: Ukuku, D.O., Huang, L. 2013. Survival and growth parameters of Escherichia Coli 0157:H7, Salmonella Spp. and Listeria Monocytogenes on fresh-cut pieces prepared from whole cantaloupe treated with Lovit sanitizer. Meeting Abstract. 2nd International Conference and Exhibition on Nutritional Science and Therapy, Philadelphia, PA., July 15-17, 2013., Volume 1, Page 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Incidence of foodborne illness due to consumption of fresh-cut melons contaminated with human bacterial pathogens and recalls of such contaminated fresh-cut melons continues to be a food safety problem. Cantaloupe rind surfaces were inoculated with a three cocktail of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, respectively at 4.8 log CFU/cm2. Inoculated cantaloupes were washed in chlorinated (1000 mg/L) water and Lovit, a novel sanitizer developed in our laboratory for 5 min before preparing fresh-cut pieces. Prepared fresh-cut pieces were stored at 5, 10, 15 and 22 deg C for days and survival and growth parameters of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and aerobic bacteria were analyzed by an optimized Huang growth model to calculate lag phases and growth rates at the storage temperature. Similarly, the growth data of L. monocytogenes were analyzed using a 3-parameter logistic model. Average Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes populations recovered from fresh-cut cantaloupes from water washed whole cantaloupes were 3.3, 3.5, and 3.0 log CFU/g, respectively. Populations on fresh-cut pieces from chlorinated and Lovit sanitized whole cantaloupes were significantly lower, averaging 0.9 log CFU/g and below detection, respectively. Storage temperature affected survival and growth of each class of bacterium on fresh-cut cantaloupe. Results showed the specific growth rates of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes were very similar, while the background microorganisms grew 60-80% faster and with shorter lag phases. The results of this study indicate that Lovit is a better sanitizer for inactivating bacteria on melon rind surfaces than chlorine.