Survival of Arcobacter butzleri in Apple and Pear Purees

Abstract

AbstractThis study examined the survival of Arcobacter 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 log10 cfu/g of A. butzleri ATCC49616, A. butzleri CAU076046 and A. butzleri CAU080180, respectively. The number of bacteria, pH value, sugar contents and water activity of apple and pear purees stored at 4 and 20C 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 log10 cfu/g after 24–48 h in apple or pear purees at 4C. A. butzleri strain CAU080180 was not detected within 12 h and the others were not detected at 20C within 24–48 h. A. butzleri CAU076046 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 ApplicationsArcobacter 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.