title: Reduction of microbiological risk in minced meat by a combination of natural antimicrobials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Responsibility for food safety must be taken through the entire food-production chain, to avoid consumer cross-contamination. The antimicrobial activities of an Alpinia katsumadai seed extract and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and their combination, were evaluated against individual food-borne pathogenic strains of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni, individually and as a cocktail, in chicken-meat juice and sterile minced meat as food models, and in minced meat with the naturally present microflora, as an actual food sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The antimicrobial combination of the A. katsumadai extract and EGCG was the most efficient for C. jejuni growth inhibition, followed by inhibition of L. monocytogenes, which was reduced more efficiently in the bacterial cocktail than as an individual strain. The antimicrobial combination added to minced meat at refrigeration temperatures used in the food chain (8 °C) revealed inhibition of these pathogens and inhibition of the naturally present bacteria after 5 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The antibacterial efficiencies of the tested combinations are influenced by storage temperature. Food safety can be improved by using the appropriate combination of natural antimicrobials to reduce the microbiological risk of minced meat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-111, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klančnik
authors.forename: Saša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piskernik
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bucar
authors.forename: Darinka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vučković
authors.forename: Sonja Smole
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Možina
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jeršek
mesh_terms: D032429:Alpinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005511:Food Handling; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D061353:Food Storage; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008460:Meat / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology*; D050296:Microbial Viability; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D012034:Refrigeration; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D034421:Sus scrofa
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005520:Food Preservatives; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate
keywords: Alpinia katsumadai; EGCG; antimicrobials; bacterial cocktail; food safety; minced meat