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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #235448
Title: Viability of Listeria monocytogenes surface inoculated onto slices of pork scrapple during storage at 4 Degrees, 10 Degrees, and 21 Degrees C

Author
item ADEKUNLE, A. - DELAWARE STATE UNIV.
item Porto-Fett, Anna
item Call, Jeffrey
item Shoyer, Brad
item GARTNER, KELLY - HATFIELD MEATS
item TUFFT, LINDA - HATFIELD MEATS
item Luchansky, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/3/2009
Publication Date: 5/17/2009
Citation: Adekunle, A., Porto Fett, A.C., Call, J.E., Shoyer, B.A., Gartner, K., Tufft, L., Luchansky, J.B. 2009. Viability of Listeria monocytogenes surface inoculated onto slices of pork scrapple during storage at 4 Degrees, 10 Degrees, and 21 Degrees C. Meeting Abstract. (P-044-P421).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We evaluated the fate of Listeria monocytogenes on scrapple, a regionally-popular, ready-to-eat (RTE) savory mush of pork trimmings, cornmeal, and flour. We also conducted an informal survey to address consumer practices for storing and reheating scrapple. Regarding the survey, of some 125 consumers who responded, about half of the respondents (48%; 51 of 107) consider scrapple as RTE, almost all (87%; 84 of 97) store it in the refrigerator, typically for 2 to 60 days before eating, and almost all (87%; 110 of 126) prefer to re-heat it prior to consumption, with most respondents (75%; 95 of 126) reheating scrapple by pan frying it for 2.5 to 10 minutes per side at a medium to high temperature setting. Regarding pathogen behavior on scrapple, in each of three trials, slices (ca. 5.5 cm wide x 6.0 cm long x 1.0 cm thick; ca. 50 g each) of commercial scrapple made with pork were surface inoculated with ca. 2.0 log10 CFU/g of a five-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes and placed in nylon-polythene bags that were vacuum-sealed and held at 4 degrees, 10 degrees, and 21 degrees C for 60, 21, and 9 days, respectively. For scrapple stored at 4 deg, 10 deg and 21 deg C pathogen levels increased at a greater rate as temperature increased, with pathogen numbers increasing from 1.9 log10 CFU/g to 7.8, 9.5, and 9.9 log10 CFU/g, respectively, by the end of the storage period. These data suggest that scrapple could provide a favorable environment for the subsequent outgrowth of L. monocytogenes on the rare occasion that post-process contamination might occur. These data also highlight the importance of proper storage and handling of scrapple and suggest that further studies may be warranted to validate the reheating conditions practiced by those who responded to our survey to establish preferred time/temperature guidelines for reheating scrapple to further lessen the likelihood of listeriosis.