Campylobacter jejuni in Vacuum Packaged Processed Turkey.

Area of Science:

• Food Microbiology
• Food Safety
• Bacterial Pathogen Survival

Background:

• Campylobacter jejuni is a significant foodborne pathogen.
• Processed meats like turkey roll and ham can be vehicles for bacterial contamination.
• Understanding pathogen survival under storage conditions is crucial for food safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of vacuum packaging and refrigerated storage (4°C) on Campylobacter jejuni viability in processed turkey.
• To compare the survival rates of different C. jejuni strains in turkey roll and turkey ham.
• To evaluate the influence of competing microflora on C. jejuni survival.

Main Methods:

• Inoculation of turkey roll and turkey ham samples with three C. jejuni strains.
• Vacuum packaging and storage at 4°C for up to 28 days.
• Enumeration of culturable C. jejuni, aerobic plate counts, and enterococci.

Main Results:

• Culturable C. jejuni significantly decreased over the 28-day storage period (P<0.05).
• Significant differences in viability were observed among the three C. jejuni strains (P<0.05).
• Higher C. jejuni levels were found in turkey roll compared to turkey ham. Aerobic plate counts and enterococci increased, indicating microbial competition.

Conclusions:

• Vacuum packaging at 4°C effectively reduces C. jejuni in processed turkey, but survival varies by strain and product.
• Microbial competition from increased aerobic plate counts and enterococci may influence C. jejuni persistence.
• Some C. jejuni strains can remain viable above 500 cells/g for up to 28 days under these conditions.