Modeling the reduction of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in ground chicken meat by high pressure processing and trans-cinnamaldehyde

As the consumption of poultry continues to increase, actions are needed to strengthen food safety approaches against contamination with the pathogens of concern, e.g., Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. This study applied response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design to investigate the effect of pressure (266-434 MPa), processing time (3.3-11.7 min), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (tCinn, 0.016-0.084%, w/w) on reducing Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in ground chicken meat. It was observed that tCinn had no impact alone, but only in combination with high-pressure treatments. A five-log reduction of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes was achieved at [375 MPa, 8.5 min, 0.07% tCinn] and at [375 MPa, 8.0 min, 0.05% tCinn], respectively, as specified by RSM and verified by experiments. During subsequent storage, both pathogens remained stable for 9 days at 4 degrees C, but were able to grow at 10 degrees C. The developed linear regression models showed R-2 of 0.9 and 0.94 for Salmonella reduction and L. monocytogenes reduction, respectively. The developed dimensionless nonlinear regression models showed F value of 306.9 and 692.1 for Salmonella reduction and L. monocytogenes reduction, respectively, with probability Pr > F (<0.0001).

Automated summary

This study used response surface methodology to investigate the impact of pressure, processing time, and tCinn on reducing Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in ground chicken meat. The results showed that a combination of high-pressure treatments and tCinn were effective in reducing the pathogens, with specific conditions leading to a five-log reduction. Linear and nonlinear regression models were developed to accurately predict pathogen reduction under different conditions.