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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 #263878
Title: Viability of Listeria monocytogenes on commercially-prepared uncured turkey breast, formulated with and without the potassium salts of levulinate, diacetate, and propionate, during extended refrigerated storage

Author
item CAMPANO, STEVE - Hawkins, Inc
item PORTO-FETT, ANNA - Oser Technologies
item Shoyer, Brad
item ISRAELI, DAVID - Mrs Ressler’s Food Products
item CALL, JEFF - Former ARS Employee
item OSER, ALAN - Oser Technologies
item Luchansky, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2011
Publication Date: 8/3/2011
Citation: Campano, S.G., Porto-Fett, A., Shoyer, B.A., Israeli, D., Call, J., Oser, A., Luchansky, J.B. 2011. Viability of Listeria monocytogenes on commercially-prepared uncured turkey breast, formulated with and without the potassium salts of levulinate, diacetate, and propionate, during extended refrigerated storage. International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, July 31-August 3, 2011, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Poster No. 3-145. p. 209.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Although Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is eliminated from ready-to-eat (RTE) red meat and poultry products during processing, it can be reintroduced onto the surface of such products via post-process contamination. Thus, further research is warranted to evaluate the efficacy of food grade antimicrobials for suppressing outgrowth of Lm on RTE meats during shelf life. Logs (ca. 5 kg each) of uncured turkey breast were formulated with or without potassium levulinate (1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0%), alone or in combination with potassium diacetate (0.1%) and potassium propionate (0.1%), by a commercial processor. The logs were sliced (ca. 1.25 cm thick) and then surface inoculated on both the top and bottom faces to a target level of ca. 3.5 log CFU/slice with a five-strain cocktail of Lm. The inoculated slices were placed into nylon-polyethylene bags that were vacuum-sealed and stored at 4 deg C for up to 90 d. The pathogen was enumerated throughout storage using the USDA package rinse/recovery method. Without inclusion of any antimicrobials in the formulation Lm numbers increased by ca. 5.2 log CFU/slice, whereas with the inclusion of 1 to 2% of levulinate in the formulation, pathogen numbers increased only by ca. 0.2 to 2.7 log CFU/sliced over 90 d at 4 deg C. In contrast, a synergistic effect was observed when levulinate was added in combination with 0.1% diacetate and 0.1% propionate. When all three antimicrobials were included as ingredients, pathogen numbers decreased by 0.3 to 0.6 log CFU/slice after storage at 4 deg C for 90 d. Our results validate that levulinate, alone or in combination with diacetate and propionate, would be effective as an ingredient for inhibiting outgrowth of Lm during storage of uncured turkey breast.