title: Irradiation and chlorination effectively reduces Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated on cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) without negatively affecting quality.
abstract: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 at levels approximating 10(7) CFU/g was dipped in 200 ppm chlorine solution followed by low-dose gamma irradiation. Samples were plated on tryptic soy agar containing 50 microg/ml nalidixic acid (TSAN) as well as TSAN plates with two 7-ml layers of basal yeast extract agar (TSAN-TAL). Levels of E. coli O157:H7 recovered from both types of media were determined over 11 days. Chlorination alone reduced counts by just over 1.0 log cycle, whereas irradiation at 1.05 kGy resulted in a 6.7-log reduction, and a combination of irradiation and chlorination reduced counts more than 7 log cycles. Trained panels performed analytical sensory tests at time intervals for 14 days to detect changes in yellowing, tip burn, browning, black rot, sliminess, off-aroma, and off-flavor. Sensory tests found no significant differences among attributes over time or dose in samples irradiated at 1.08 to 3.85 kGy. This study showed that combination treatments of chlorination and low-dose irradiation can significantly reduce levels of E. coli O157:H7 in fresh cilantro while maintaining product quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, USA. dfoley@chapman.edu
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Euper
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caporaso
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prakash
mesh_terms: D002713:Chlorine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D028526:Coriandrum / Q000382:microbiology*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005514:Food Irradiation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D005720:Gamma Rays; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D002713:Chlorine