INACTIVATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS EXPOSED TO DENSE‐PHASE CARBON DIOXIDE IN A BATCH SYSTEM

Abstract

ABSTRACT The inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus exposed to dense‐phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) was investigated, and the kinetics of come‐up time (CUT) in pressurization was monitored with come‐down time (CDT) and temperature fluctuation in depressurization. CUT was about 2.5, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.0 min; CDT was 3.4, 3.7, 4.5 and 4.5 min; lowest temperature of samples in depressurization was 4, −1, −15 and −22C, corresponding to 10, 20, 30 and 40 MPa at 37C. The inactivation behavior of S. aureus was closely related to the variables of process pressure, holding‐pressure time (HPT), process temperature and process cycling. The log reduction of S. aureus at 40 MPa for 30‐min HPT was significantly greater (P < 0.05), but the inactivation effect at 10, 20 and 30 MPa was similar. The log reduction of S. aureus at 30 and 40 MPa for 60‐min HPT was similar and significantly greater (P < 0.05), while the inactivation effect at 10 and 20 MPa was similar. The inactivation of S. aureus against HPT conformed to a fast–slow biphase kinetics; the two stages were well fitted to a first‐order model with higher regression coefficients R2 = 1.000 and 0.9238; their respective D values (decimal reduction time) were 16.52 and 70.42 min. As the process temperature increased, the log reduction of S. aureus increased significantly (P < 0.05); the inactivation kinetics of S. aureus versus process temperature was characterized with a fast inactivation rate from 32 to 45C and a slow inactivation rate from 45 to 55C. As compared to one‐process cycling for a total of 60‐min HPT, four‐process cycling resulted in a significant reduction of S. aureus, and its maximal reduction was near to 5 log cycles, indicating that more process cycling caused more inactivation of S. aureus under identical pressure and temperature with equal HPT. However, the maximal reduction was 0.09 and 0.12 log cycles for two‐ and four‐process cyclings with 0‐min HPT, indicating that pressurization and depressurization had a lesser effect on the inactivation of S. aureus, while HPT was significant in DPCD to inactivate S. aureus.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDense‐phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) is a novel technology to achieve cold pasteurization and/or sterilization of liquid and solid materials, and is likely to replace or partially substitute currently and widely applied thermal processes. This study showed that DPCD effectively inactivated Staphylococcus aureus inoculated in 7.5% sodium chloride broth, and the inactivation behavior of S. aureus was closely related to the pressure, holding‐pressure time, temperature and process cycling. Based on this observation, the technology of DPCD can be applied in the pasteurization of foods such as milk and various fruit juices, especially thermal‐sensitive materials.