Abstract
We have compared the efficacy of continuous ultraviolet (UV‐C) (254 nm) and pulsed UV light in reducing the viability of Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix thermospacta, Carnobacterium divergens, and extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase producing E. coli inoculated on chicken fillet surface. Fluences from 0.05 to 3.0 J/cm2 (10 mW/cm2, from 5 to 300 s) used for UV‐C light resulted in average reductions from 1.1 to 2.8 log cfu/cm2. For pulsed UV light, fluences from 1.25 to 18.0 J/cm2 gave average reductions from 0.9 to 3.0 log cfu/cm2. A small change in the odor characterized as sunburnt and increased concentration of volatile compounds associated with burnt odor posed restrictions on the upper limit of UV treatment, however no sensory changes were observed after cooking the meat. Treatments under modified atmosphere conditions using a UV permeable top film gave similar or slightly lower bacterial reductions.Practical applicationsUltraviolet (UV) light may be used for decontaminating the surface of food products and reduce viability of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Exposure of raw chicken fillet surface to various doses of continuous UV‐C or pulsed UV light proposed in the present work represent alternatives for microbiological improvement of this product. Chicken fillets can be treated in intact packages covered with UV permeable top film, thus avoiding recontamination of the meat. UV‐C light treatment is a low cost strategy with low maintenance, whereas pulsed UV light involves more elaborate equipment, but treatment times are short and less space is required. Both methods can be helpful for producers to manage the safety and quality of chicken fillets.
Highlights
The desired long shelf life in today’s food industry has led to increasing demands in the development of methods for improving microbial safety and quality
Exposure of raw chicken fillet surface to various doses of continuous UV-C or pulsed UV light proposed in the present work represent alternatives for microbiological improvement of this product
We investigated the effect of UV-C and pulsed UV light against microbial flora associated with fresh, skinless chicken fillets
Summary
The desired long shelf life in today’s food industry has led to increasing demands in the development of methods for improving microbial safety and quality. In addition to creating dimer lesions, pulsed UV light has been proposed to cause cell damage and cell death by inducing damage of the cell membrane and to cause rupture of the bacteria by thermal stress (Krishnamurthy, Tewari, Irudayaraj, & Demirci, 2010; Takeshita, Shibato, Sameshima, Fukunaga, Isobe, Arihara, & Itoh, 2003; Wekhof, 2000). The use of this technology for food decontamination has previously been reviewed We aimed at determining whether the UV light treatments had adverse effects on the sensory quality of chicken fillets
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