17D-18 |
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I. C. BLACKMAN1, Y. W. Park1, and M. A. Harrison2. (1) Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State Univ., 1005 State University Dr., Fort Valley, GA 31030-4313, (2) Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Univ. of Georgia, 340 Food Science Bldg., Athens, GA 30602-7610 Cured, ready-to-eat meat products are enjoyed by consumers world-wide. However, consumption of dry-cured salami has been implicated in cases of foodborne illness due to Escherichia coli O157:H7. Sodium erythorbate is used as a cure accelerator in processed meats. Since erythorbate is an isomer of sodium ascorbate, it is hypothesized that it might exert the oxidative effect that the ascorbate does on bacterial cells. If oxidative stress occurs, the cells may have enhanced thermotolerance. This study examined the effect of a cure mix, containing sodium erythorbate, salt, dextrose, mustard, spices, sodium phosphate, garlic powder and tricalcium phosphate, on the thermotolerance of E. coli O157:H7 strains EO139 and 380-94 in cooked sausage. Ground beef with the added cure mix was inoculated with cultures of E. coli O157:H7 strains EO139 and 380-94. Sausage links were made. The sausages were heated to an internal temperature of 60oC in an oven, cut into 10-g portions, then stomached with 90 ml peptone water. The peptone water mixture was spirally plated for cell enumeration. Sausages made without seasoning and spiked with the strains were regarded as the controls. Erythorbate did not enhance the thermotolerance of the EO139 or 380-94 strains. Strain 380-94 was more resistant than the venison jerky strain to the combined effect of the seasonings and the heat treatment. Other ingredients, such as the garlic powder and sodium chloride, were thought to have had an additional synergistic lethal effect on the bacterial cells. In actual meat products the concentration of ingredients that might cause oxidative stress on pathogens may not be sufficient to bring on the effect. Thus, the possibility of oxidative stress contributing to the survival of a pathogen may not occur at a significant rate.
Session 17D, Food Chemistry: Chemical effects of food processing and preservation
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