Modeling the inactivation of salmonella and listeria monocytogenes in ground chicken meat subject to high pressure processing and trans-Cinnamaldehyde

Authors: CHUANG, SHIHYU - National Taiwan University; Sheen, Shiowshuh - Allen; Sommers, Christopher; SHEEN, LEE-YAN - National Taiwan University

Submitted to: LWT - Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2020
Publication Date: 3/1/2021
Citation: Chuang, S., Sheen, S., Sommers, C.H., Sheen, L. 2021. Modeling the inactivation of salmonella and listeria monocytogenes in ground chicken meat subject to high pressure processing and trans-Cinnamaldehyde. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 139:110601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.110601.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.110601

Interpretive Summary: Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes are well-known foodborne pathogens responsible for many outbreaks and serious illness. High pressure processing (HPP) may inactivate or kill bacteria by cell structure disintegration. Trans-cinnamaldehyde (tCinn), a commonly used essential oil in many food products, has demonstrated effective antimicrobial functions in certain food process applications. The integration of HPP and tCinn to facilitate the inactivation of Salmonella and/or L. monocytogenes in ground chicken meat, and their combinations needed to kill 99.999% of both pathogens were identified. Simple mathematical models to predict the inactivation were developed and validated which include pressure, process time and tCinn dose. Those factors are important for HPP operation development to enhance microbial food safety concerns. Models can be used in risk assessment.

Technical Abstract: The inactivation of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in fresh ground chicken meat by high pressure processing (HPP, 266 to 434 MPa; 3.3 to 11.7 min) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (tCinn, 0.016 to 0.084%, w/w) was modeled using response surface analysis in a central composite design matrix. The R2 of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes linear models were 0.91 and 0.95, respectively. As specified by canonical correlation and ridge analysis, the process optimization (variable minimization) targeting 5 log cycles of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes reduction was projected and verified at [372 MPa, 8.5 min, 0.07% tCinn] and [373 MPa, 8.0 min, 0.05% tCinn], respectively. Overall, L. monocytogenes was more resistant to HPP at lower levels (< 400 MPa) than Salmonella, but more susceptible to high pressure treatments in the presence of tCinn. In addition, structural changes of the bacterial cells treated with high pressure and tCinn were demonstrated in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images.