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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262504
Title: Effects of sodium lactate on the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in cooked ham

Author
item Hwang, Cheng An
item Sheen, Shiowshuh - Allen
item Juneja, Vijay

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/2011
Publication Date: 2/20/2011
Citation: Hwang, C., Sheen, S., Juneja, V.K. 2011. Effects of sodium lactate on the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in cooked ham [abstract]. IFT Annual Meeting, June 11-14, 2011, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1:1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effect of lactate on Listeria monocytogenes has been extensively examined in meat products. However, few studies have examined effects of lactate on E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. Using L. monocytogenes as a comparison, this study examined effects of lactate on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in cooked ham. Ham containing 0-3% lactate was inoculated with a multiple-strain mixture of each pathogen and stored at 4-15C for 35 d. The growth of the pathogens was inhibited in ham containing 3% lactate, and no growth of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. occurred at 6 and 8C, respectively. In ham containing no lactate, the growth rates (GR) were 0.256-0.380 log CFU/d for L. monocytogenes at 4-8C, 0.242-0.315 log CFU/d for E. coli O157:H7 at 8-15C, and 0.249-0.328 log CFU/d for Salmonella spp. at 10-15C. Lactate at 1% and 2% reduced the GR of L. monocytogenes by 35% and 60% at 4C, whereas the reductions were 16% and 41% at 8C, and 16% and 34% at 10C, respectively. The GR reductions caused by 1% and 2% lactate were 33% and 50% for E. coli O157:H7 at 8C, and 55% and 79% for Salmonella spp. at 10C, respectively. The reductions were 4-19% and 12-38% for E. coli O157:H7, and were 10-37% and 49-65% for Salmonella spp. at 12 and 15C, respectively. Results indicated that lactate significantly reduced (P is less than 0.05) the GR of the pathogens, and Salmonella spp. were more sensitive to lactate than L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7. Furthermore, lactate was as effective in reducing growth of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in ham as for L. monocytogenes, and its addition will reduce this product’s food safety concerns associated with E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.