Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of combinations of nisin with salt (NaCl) to control Listeria monocytogenes on sheep natural sausage casings. Casings were inoculated with 3.0 x 105 cfu/g final inocula of L. monocytogenes, stored at 6°C in different solutions of nisin at 0, 100, 150 and 200 ig/g. Each combined with salt at 0, 4, 7 and 12% (w/v). Samples were taken at day 0, 10, 20, 35, 60 and 90 post-inoculation and the number of bacteria present was determined. The bactericidal effect of nisin against L. monocytogenes cells was evident where nisin was applied in combination with salts. In all treatments, nisin/salt mixtures induced a bacterial growth inhibitory effect greater than salt alone. These results indicate that nisin and salt synergistically and significantly inhibit the growth of L. monoctogenes in sheep natural casings. The use of nisin combined with salt as antibacterial agent will be appropriate for applications on natural sausage casing industries as natural preservatives to control foodborne pathogens. They can be used as growth inhibitors of L. monocytogenes, an important foodborne pathogens and spoiling bacterium. The main reason for their appropriateness is their natural origin, which consumers find comforting. These beneficial characteristics could increase casings safety and shelf life.
Highlights
Natural casings from sheep, hog and beef have been used for thousands of years as an edible container for sausage
This study evaluated the effect of combinations of nisin with salt (NaCl) to control Listeria monocytogenes on sheep natural sausage casings
This reduction may be due to acidification of solution of treatment due to lactic acid production by L. monocytogenes, which led to a significant acidification (Conner et al, 1986)
Summary
Natural casings from sheep, hog and beef have been used for thousands of years as an edible container for sausage. Casings are usually preserved by salting, curing and/or drying (Fischer and Schweflinghaus, 1988) to reduce the microbial contamination, but enteric or exogenous microorganisms in the natural casing are inevitable and the number of microorganisms increases during processing and distribution, especially under unhygienic treatment or high storage temperature (Trigo and Fraqueza, 1998). By their nature, natural casings are contaminated with bacteria (104 to 107 cfu/g) (Bakker et al., 1999; Byun et al, 2001; Ockerman and Hansen, 2000; Gabbis and Silliker, 1974). Due to the ubiquitous nature of this pathogen in the slaughterhouse and the meat packaging environments, it is not surprising that the incidence and behavior of this pathogen in meat products are receiving increasing attention
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