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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 #289680
Title: Commercial thermal process for inactivating Salmonella Poona on surfaces of whole fresh cantaloupes

Author
item Annous, Bassam
item Burke, Angela - Mattrazzo
item Sites, Joseph
item Phillips, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2013
Publication Date: 7/28/2013
Citation: Annous, B.A., Burke, A.M., Sites, J.E., Phillips, J.G. 2013. Commercial thermal process for inactivating Salmonella Poona on surfaces of whole fresh cantaloupes. Meeting Abstract.IAFP Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC., July 28-31, 2013., Volume 1, Page 1..

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Outbreaks of salmonellosis by Salmonella Poona and listeriosis by Listeria monocytogenes have been associated with the consumption of cantaloupes. Commercial washing processes for cantaloupes are limited in their ability to inactivate and/or remove this human pathogen. Our objective was to develop a commercial-scale surface pasteurization process for enhancing the microbiological safety of cantaloupes. Whole cantaloupes, surface inoculated with S. Poona RM 2350 were stored at 32 deg C for 24 h prior to processing. Hot water treatments at 92 deg C for 60 and 90 s have resulted in excess of 5 log reduction of S. Poona. Cantaloupes that were treated and stored at 4 deg C for 9 days retained their firmness qualities and maintained non-detectable levels of S. Poona as compared to the controls. Also, levels of S. Poona on fresh-cut cantaloupes prepared from treated cantaloupes and stored for 9 days at 4 deg C were non-detectable as compared to the controls. Temperature penetration profiles indicated that the surface temperature of the whole cantaloupe was 26-30 deg C below the wash water temperature. These results indicate that surface pasteurization at 92 deg C for 90 s will enhance the microbiological safety of cantaloupes and will extend the shelf life of this commodity as well. This process parameters, short time treatment of 90 s or less, fall within the commercial requirements of the whole cantaloupe processors/packers industry.