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A Novel Method for Fresh‐Cut Decontamination: Efficiency of Vaporized Ethyl Pyruvate in Reducing S taphylococcus aureus and E scherichia coli O 157: H 7 from Fresh Parsley
Author(s) -
Tornuk Fatih,
Durak Muhammed Zeki
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/jfpp.12377
Subject(s) - human decontamination , staphylococcus aureus , food science , chemistry , inoculation , escherichia coli , bacterial growth , contamination , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , medicine , horticulture , biochemistry , ecology , genetics , pathology , gene
Abstract Vaporized ethyl pyruvate ( EP ) was evaluated for its efficiency for decontamination of parsley from E scherichia coli O 157: H 7 and S taphylococcus aureus . Inoculated parsleys (∼10 4 or ∼10 6 cfu/g) were treated with 0 (control sample), 100, 400 and 1,000 μL of vaporized EP in 2.6‐L closed‐lid food containers. Samples were evaluated for bacterial growth and visual acceptance during treatment. In the case of decontamination of E . coli O 157: H 7, 1,000 μL EP treatments completely inhibited the bacterial population and enabled 100% growth inhibition levels ( GILs ) in both inoculum levels. In low inoculation of S . aureus , the difference between the counts of the control and 1,000 μL EP ‐treated samples was higher than 2 logs after the storage. In high inoculum, 400 or 1,000 μL EP ‐treated parsleys had significantly ( P < 0.05) lower S . aureus populations as compared with the control sample. EP treatment retarded parsley decay; however, it caused some yellowness on the parsley leaves. Practical Applications Safety of minimally processed fruits and vegetables is of great concern worldwide as no decontamination treatment is included in their processing. Different methods such as washing with chemical sanitizers, pulsed ultraviolet light, high pressure and ionized radiation have been tested for decontamination of fresh products. In general, these methods achieve less than a 2‐log reduction and negatively affect organoleptical properties of the products. Surface structure of the product also influences the effectiveness of surface decontamination processes as pathogens may penetrate into protected sites within plant tissue. Vaporized ethyl pyruvate ( EP ) has potential to remove these disadvantages because of its volatility which enables it to reach the pathogens that are hidden within plant structures. In this study, EP was effective against both E scherichia coli O 157: H 7 and S taphylococcus aureus on fresh parsley. As a conclusion, EP was confirmed as an effective agent for decontamination of parsleys and as a successful alternative for other decontamination methods.