Reduction of inoculated Salmonella cocktail in ground turkey and turkey breasts using Lactobacillus-based...

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been shown to be inhibitory toward various pathogenic bacteria during refrigerated storage of ground beef samples and in subprimals. In this study, the effectiveness of a combination of 4 strains of Lactobacillus at reducing Salmonella in turkey products was evaluated to improve the final safety of the product. Turkey breasts (hot and chilled) were inoculated with a 3-strain Salmonella cocktail (Typhimurium ATCC 14028, Enteritidis PT 13 NVSL 96-18535, and Heidelberg 3347-1 Sheldon) and then treated with 1 × 10(6 )cfu/cm(2) of a Lactobacillus-based intervention comprising NP51, NP35, NP3, and NP7 (Lactiguard, Nutrition Physiology Corp., Kansas City, MO). The turkey breasts were stored at either 5°C to simulate refrigerated storage and sampled on d 0, 1, 2, and 3 or at 37°C to simulate hot carcass applications and sampled at h 0, 2, and 4. Additionally, ground turkey was inoculated with a 3-strain Salmonella cocktail, treated with 1 × 10(6 )cfu/g of the LAB intervention, and stored at 5°C with sampling on d 0, 1, 2, and 3. The reduction of Salmonella in the turkey breasts stored at 5°C treated with Lactobacillus was 2 log (P < 0. 05) compared with the control turkey breasts after d 2. Salmonella in the turkey breasts held at 37°C was reduced by 1.5 log (P < 0.05) by h 2 and 2 log (P < 0.05) by h 4. The Salmonella in the ground turkey held at 5°C using the LAB exhibited a 2 log (P < 0. 05) reduction compared with the control after d 1. These results show that the addition of a Lactobacillus-based treatment in turkey products significantly reduces Salmonella during storage.