title: Survival of Campylobacter jejuni on raw chicken legs packed in high-oxygen or high-carbon dioxide atmosphere after the decontamination with lactic acid/sodium lactate buffer.
abstract: Quantitative risk assessment studies performed elsewhere showed the importance of reducing counts of Campylobacter jejuni on chicken carcasses for decrease of incidence of human campylobacteriosis. The current study indicated that 1.8 log CFU/g reduction of inoculated C. jejuni (6 log CFU/g) can be achieved by decontamination with lactic acid buffered with sodium lacatate (LA/NaLA, 10% w/v, pH 3.0). Subsequent packaging under modified atmosphere of 80% O(2)/20%N(2) resulted in additional reduction of approximately 1.2 log CFU/g. These results were confirmed in naturally contaminated samples (2-3 log CFU/g) resulting in immediate reduction of present C. jejuni under the limit of enumeration (1 log CFU/g). However, enrichment showed presence of C. jejuni in 10g of sample. Under 80% O(2) LA/NaLA treated C. jejuni remained detectable per 10g until day 7, after which no positive samples were found until the end of the two-weeks storage. Under 80% CO(2) LA/NaLA treated C. jejuni remained fluctuating at 10 CFU/g until the end of two-weeks storage. Control cells were reduced by approx. 1.5 log CFU/g during storage under 80% O(2)/20% N(2), whereas no reduction was observed under 80% CO(2)/20% N(2). The present study showed the potential of buffered lactic acid and high-O(2) MAP to reduce C. jejuni both on inoculated and naturally contaminated samples. The immediate effect of decontamination was further extended by additive, not synergistic, effect of 80% O(2), suggesting the practical value of the tested concept in combating C. jejuni on chicken carcasses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Food2Know, Coupure links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. andreja.rajkovic@ugent.be
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajkovic
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomic
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smigic
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uyttendaele
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ragaert
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Devlieghere
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology; D019354:Sodium Lactate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D019344:Lactic Acid; D010100:Oxygen; D019354:Sodium Lactate