title: Effectiveness of a polyamide film releasing lactic acid on the growth of E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacteriaceae and Total Aerobic Count on vacuum-packed beef.
abstract: The suitability of a polyamide 6 monolayer film containing lactic acid for use as an antimicrobial package for fresh beef cuts was studied. The release of lactic acid in an aqueous environment was immediate (within 1h) and was from approx. 55 μg lactic acid/cm(2) film at 0-8°C to approx. 67 μg lactic acid/cm(2) film at 12-20°C. Beef was contaminated with an Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolate with known minimum inhibitory concentration against lactic acid (0.09% v/v), then wrapped with the lactic-acid polyamide film and vacuum packaged. During storage at 12°C, the numbers of E. coli were 1 log unit lower than that of a control (untreated polyamide film) and decreased by an additional 1 log during storage for 14 days.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Meat Hygiene, Meat Technology and Food Science, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: F J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Smulders
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vali
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wanda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008460:Meat; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D009757:Nylons; D019344:Lactic Acid