title: Inactivation of Escherichia coli inoculated onto fresh-cut chopped cabbage using electron-beam processing.
abstract: During the past decade there were more than 50 reported outbreaks involving leafy green vegetables contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Leafy greens, including cabbage, are fresh foods rarely heated before consumption, which enables foodborne illness. The need for improved safety of fresh food drives the demand for nonthermal food processes to decrease the risk of pathogens while maintaining fresh quality. This study examines the efficacy of electron-beam (e-beam) irradiation in decreasing indigenous microflora on fresh-cut cabbage and determines the optimal dosage to pasteurize fresh-cut cabbage inoculated with Escherichia coli K-12. Fresh-cut cabbage (100 g) was inoculated with ∼8 log E. coli K-12 and e-beam irradiated at doses of 0, 1.0, 2.3, or 4.0 kGy. At 2.3 kGy there was <1.0 log indigenous microflora remaining, indicating greater than a 4.0-log reduction by e-beam. At a 4.0-kGy dose there was >7-log reduction of E. coli K-12 in the fresh-cut cabbage. The D(10)-value for E. coli K-12 in fresh-cut cabbage was 0.564 kGy. E-beam irradiation is thus a viable nonthermal treatment that extends the shelf life and increases the safety of fresh cabbage by reducing or eliminating indigenous microflora and unwanted pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, 2015 Fyffe Road, Parker Food Science Building, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1007, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: Roberto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Uribe-Rendon
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001937:Brassica / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005514:Food Irradiation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D014675:Vegetables / Q000382:microbiology