Microbiological Quality of Raw Ground Chicken Processed at High Isostatic Pressure

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Food Preservation

Background:

• Raw chicken is susceptible to rapid microbial spoilage.
• Maintaining the quality and safety of raw poultry products is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of high-pressure processing (HPP) in extending the shelf life of raw chicken.
• To determine the impact of different HPP levels on microbial growth and spoilage.

Main Methods:

• Raw chicken was inoculated with bacteria, packaged, and subjected to high-pressure processing (408, 616, and 888 MPa).
• Microbial populations (aerobic and anaerobic) were enumerated during storage at 4°C.
• Spoilage was defined as reaching 10^7 colony-forming units (CFU)/g.

Main Results:

• HPP significantly extended the microbial spoilage time of raw chicken.
• Spoilage times increased with pressure: 27 days (408 MPa), 70 days (616 MPa), and >98 days (888 MPa).
• Facultatively anaerobic psychrotrophic bacteria, Carnobacterium divergens and Serratia liquefaciens, were the most resistant survivors.

Conclusions:

• High-pressure processing is an effective method for extending the shelf life of raw chicken.
• Increased pressure levels correlate with longer shelf stability.
• Understanding surviving microbial flora is crucial for predicting shelf life.