Survival of Salmonella Enteritidis during salting and drying of horse mackerel ( Trachurus trachurus) fillets

Abstract

Survival of Salmonella Enteritidis inoculated (5–6 log cfu/g) on horse mackerel fillets was studied during salting and/or drying processes at 4 °C for up to 70 days. Sample groups were as follows: group A (salt/fish = 80/100), group B (salt/fish = 30/100), group C (salted as group A and dried after 15 days), group D (salted as group B and dried after 15 days), and group E (dried without salting). The salt content increased in all groups with a maximum level of 29.36%. Final salt contents (%) were higher ( P < 0.05) in salted–dried groups (C and D) than the salted groups (A and B). Total reductions in a w values were found as group E > group D > group C > groups A and B ( P < 0.05). Salmonella survived 60 days in group A, 65 days in group B, 35 days in group C, 45 days in group D and 20 days in group E. Drying process following salting accelerated the elimination of this pathogen . Salmonella survived longer in salted samples than in salted–dried and dried samples. This work demonstrated that Salmonella may be inhibited by one of salting, drying and salting–drying techniques; however, processing periods should be long enough to reduce a w sufficient to inhibit this pathogen.