Survival of A rcobacter butzleri in Apple and Pear Purees

This study examined the survival of A rcobacter butzleri in apple and pear purees. The apple and pear purees were prepared by following a previous study and these were spiked with 6.90–7.44 log 10 cfu/g of A . butzleri   ATCC 49616, A . butzleri   CAU 076046 and A . butzleri   CAU 080180, respectively. The number of bacteria, pH value, sugar contents and water activity of apple and pear purees stored at 4 and 20 C for 48 h were measured. The population of all strains significantly decreased in apple and pear purees at 8, 12, 24 and 48 h ( P  < 0.01). Each A . butzleri strain was reduced by 7 log 10 cfu/g after 24–48 h in apple or pear purees at 4 C . A . butzleri strain CAU 080180 was not detected within 12 h and the others were not detected at 20 C within 24–48 h. A . butzleri   CAU 076046 was more resistant in the purees than the other two strains. No significant difference in the pH values, sugar content or water activity was observed between 0 and 48 h. We demonstrated that the number of A . butzleri significantly decreased in apple and pear purees. Practical Applications A rcobacter butzleri causes gastroenteritis in children, elderly and immunocompromised patients. The contamination of A . butzleri occurred not only in meats but also in vegetable or fruits. This study demonstrated that A . butzleri was reduced in the apple or pear purees during storage. The combination of pH , organic acids and flavonoids synergistically inhibit the survival of A . butzleri in purees.