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Using temperature and time criteria to control the effectiveness of continuous thermal sanitation of piggery effluent in terms of set microbial indicators
Author(s) -
Cunault C.,
Pourcher A.M.,
Burton C.H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.05144.x
Subject(s) - mesophile , bacteria , biology , clostridium , clostridia , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , endospore , spore , genetics
Aim: To determine the minimal conditions (temperature–time), necessary to achieve set sanitation targets for selected microbial indicators during the continuous thermal treatment of pig slurry. Methods and Results: The effectiveness of thermal treatment between 55 and 96°C was studied using Escherichia coli , enterococci, sulfite‐reducing Clostridia (SRC), mesophilic culturable bacteria (MCB), F+‐specific and somatic phages. Identification of SRC and MCB was performed using 16S rRNA gene analysis. Ten minutes at 70°C or 1 h at 60°C was sufficient to reduce the vegetative bacteria by 4–5 log 10 , but it had little effect on somatic phages nor on spore formers, dominated by Clostridium sp. At 96°C, somatic phages were still detected, but there was a reduction of 3·1 log 10 for SRC and of 1·4 log 10 for MCB. At 96°C, Clostridium botulinum was identified among the thermotolerant MCB. Conclusion: Only those hygienic risks relating to mesophilic vegetative bacteria can be totally eliminated from pig slurry treated at 60°C (60 min) or 70°C (<10 min). Significance and Impact of the Study: Hygiene standards based on the removal of the indicators E. coli and enterococci can easily be met by treatment as low as 60°C (enabling, a low‐cost treatment using heat recovery). However, even at 96°C, certain pathogens may persist.