Lack of growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in temperature abuse of E-beam treated ready-to-eat (RTE) cooked ham.
The behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in vacuum-packed cooked ham slices treated with an electron beam and stored at 4, 7 and 10 degrees C was investigated. Cooked ham slices were inoculated with L. monocytogenes and S. aureus and electron beam treated at 2 and 3 kGy. After treatment, a long temperature-dependent death phase was observed, followed by growth at a slower rate than in untreated samples. Assuming a hypothetical load of 10 cells/g or cm(2) of L. monocytogenes and S. aureus as an original contamination in an industrial situation, an E-beam treatment of vacuum-packed cooked ham slices at 2 kGy guarantees the microbiological safety of the product along its shelf life, even if a noticeable temperature (10 degrees C) abuse occur during its storage period. Likewise, the E-beam treatment gave rise to a substantial increase of the RTE cooked ham shelf life off-sensory features associated to the spoilage only were detected in non-treated samples (controls) after 8 and 18 days of storage at 10 degrees C and 7 degrees C, respectively.
Cabeza
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MC
Departamento de Nutrición, Bromatología y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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MI
Núñez
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Medina
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de la Hoz
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D000818:Animals; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling; D005514:Food Irradiation; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013552:Swine; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014618:Vacuum