Effect of Transient Temperature Shift-up on the Growth of Aerobic Bacteria, Coliform and Listeria monocytogenes on Cut-cabbage during Storage

Abstract

The total aerobic plate count (APC), total coliform counts and the population of Listeria monocytogenes in cut cabbage, washed with distilled water (DW) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), were determined at 25°C and 10°C. APC, total coliform counts and L. monocytogenes population was reduced significantly just after NaClO washing (P < 0.05), however, subsequent increases in these counts were observed when stored at 25°C. When the temperature shift-up to 25°C at three different time frames (4, 16, and 24h) was applied during 48 h of storage at 10°C, it was observed that the 2 h temperature shift-up at any point did not remarkably affect the increases in APC, total coliform counts and L. monocytogenes population in either DW-washed and NaClO-washed cut cabbages. Temperature shift-up to 25 °C, applied two times during storage at 10°C, did not also affect these counts.