title: Reduction of spoilage of chilled vacuum-packed lamb by psychrotolerant clostridia.
abstract: Methods for the reduction of spoilage, of lamb, by psychrotolerant clostridia were investigated including exposure to air, hot and cold water spray washing and tyndallisation. Initially vegetative cells of psychrotolerant clostridia associated with spoilage of chilled vacuum-packed meat were exposed to aerobic cooked meat medium at room temperature (21 °C) to determine how long they remained viable. Survival of strains varied from 2h to 3 days. Vegetative cells of Clostridium estertheticum subsp. estertheticum survived 7 days at 10 °C with little reduction in viable numbers. This ruled out exposure to air as a practical method for reducing spoilage. Trials were also carried out on chilled vacuum-packed lamb inoculated with spores of Cl. estertheticum subsp. estertheticum. The time until inoculated packs reached the loss of vacuum stage varied from 38 to 53 days. Hot and cold water washing extended the shelf life by 12 to 13 days in comparison to untreated packs.
authors.affiliation: Food and Bio-Based Products, AgResearch, Ruakura, Private Bag 3115, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. katharine.adam.1@uni.massey.ac.nz
authors.forename: Katharine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Steve H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Gale
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brightwell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003013:Clostridium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000254:growth & development; D014618:Vacuum; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014867:Water