The control of cheese and meat product spoilage fungi by sanitizers: In vitro testing and food industry usage

Abstract

This work analyzed the antifungal capacity of different sanitizers allowed in the food industry against species involved in the spoilage of dairy and meat products and compared the results with sanitizing products used in the food industry. Tests were carried out according to the protocol for testing the antifungal effects of chemical sanitizers of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the French Standard NF-T-72281. Industry data were obtained by electronic form. Aspergillus (A. westerdijkiae, A. pseudoglaucus) and Penicillium (P. commune, P. roqueforti, P. polonicum) were tested against benzalkonium chloride, biguanide, peracetic acid, sodium hypochlorite, and an ortho-phenylphenol-based fumigant. The spoilage fungi isolated from meat products were resistant to most of the sanitizers and concentrations tested. The lowest concentration specified in the product label is the closest to the usually applied in the food industry and was never effective against the spoilage species tested. Peracetic acid was the most common agent employed by the food facilities surveyed and the most effective sanitizer at the highest concentration evaluated, especially against cheese spoilage species. Nevertheless, none of the tested sanitizers are ideal for fungal inactivation at the concentration usually recommended and employed in the food industry.