Plant Extracts for the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Meat Products

The antimicrobial activity of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) plant active extracts was determined against Listeria monocytogenes in two meat products. Samples of sausages cacciatore and cooked ham in vacuum-packaged slices were artificially contaminated, and the presence of Listeria was evaluated during the sausages ripening and throughout the shelf-life of the cooked ham. The test carried out on sausages did not show differences among treated and untreated samples. The antagonistic activity of the plant extracts against the pathogen was probably hidden by the competition from the sausages microbial flora and the pH and the water activity (aw) decrease. On the other hand, the plant extracts determined an initial reduction of about 1.00 log cfu/g of the L. monocytogenes viable count in the cooked ham slices contaminated with 10(3) cfu/g, but the best result was obtained with the contamination of 10(2) cfu/g of L. monocytogenes. In addition to the pathogen's initial decrease, we observed an extension of the lag phase and a reduction of the Listeria growth rate. Considering that the presence of L. monocytogenes during the slicing phase of the cooked ham does not exceed 10 cfu/g, the use of plant extracts can lead to complete pathogen elimination.

Automated summary

The study showed that garlic and onion plant extracts have strong antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. While the tests on sausages did not show significant differences, the plant extracts led to a noticeable initial reduction in viable L. monocytogenes count in cooked ham, extending the lag phase and reducing the growth rate of the pathogen. This suggests the potential for complete elimination of the pathogen in cooked ham with the use of plant extracts.