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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407453
Title: Modeling the growth probability of Clostridium perfringens in cooked meat as affected by sodium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate

Author
item Hwang, Cheng An
item Huang, Lihan
item Sheen, Shiowshuh - Allen

Submitted to: Microbial Risk Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2024
Publication Date: 4/19/2024
Citation: Hwang, C., Huang, L., Sheen, S. 2024. Modeling the growth probability of Clostridium perfringens in cooked meat as affected by sodium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate. Microbial Risk Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mran.2024.100296.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mran.2024.100296

Interpretive Summary: Clostridium perfringens has been implicated in food poisoning linked to cooked processed meat consumption. This study developed a mathematical model to predict the growth probability of C. perfringens in cooked meat as affected by salt (1-4%) and sodium tripolyphosphate (0.25-1.5%), two common ingredients in cooked meat. A growth probability model was successfully developed and can be used for predicting the growth probability of C. perfringens as affected by salt and STPP concentrations and for selecting the additive concentrations that may reduce the growth probability of C. perfringens in cooked meat products.

Technical Abstract: Clostridium perfringens has been implicated in food poisoning outbreaks linked to cooked processed meat. Although there are regulatory requirements to prevent its growth during meat production, additional control measures may reduce the C. perfringens risk. This study examined the effect of sodium chloride (salt) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) on the growth probability of C. perfringens in a cooked reconstructed meat. Ground beef (10% fat) was mixed with 200 ppm nitrite, 1-4% salt, and 0-1.5% STPP and inoculated with C. perfringens spores. Five grams of meat were vacuum-packed in individual bags and heated at 70 deg. C for 30 min to activate the spores. Five or ten bags from each formulation were incubated at 46 deg. C for 48 h. The populations of C. perfringens before and after incubation were enumerated to determine the growth event of C. perfringens (an increase of >1.0 log CFU/g population after incubation) for each sample. The growth event ratios were fitted with a logistic model as a function of the concentrations of salt and STPP. The combinations of 1% salt and up to 1.5% STPP were not able to prevent the growth of C. perfringens. For 2, 3, and 4% salt, the growth/no growth boundaries were observed at approximately 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5% STPP, respectively. The model indicates that salt and STPP were significant factors (p<0.05) affecting the growth probability of C. perfringens. This study identified the concentrations of salt and STPP that prevent the growth of C. perfringens in a cooked meat, and the model could be used for predicting the growth probability of C. perfringens as affected by salt and STPP concentrations and for selecting the additive concentrations that may reduce the growth probability of C. perfringens in cooked meats.