Inactivation of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Refrigerated and Frozen Meatballs Using High Pressure...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Microbiology
• Food Safety

Background:

• Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a significant foodborne pathogen.
• Raw meat products, like meatballs, are potential vehicles for STEC transmission.
• Inactivation of STEC in raw meat requires effective and practical methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of high pressure processing (HPP) for inactivating STEC in raw meatballs.
• To determine the influence of pressure levels and treatment times on STEC reduction.
• To assess the impact of meat type and pre-treatment storage on HPP effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Raw meatballs (beef, veal, or beef-pork-veal mix) were inoculated with a multi-strain STEC cocktail.
• Meatballs were stored refrigerated or frozen before HPP treatment.
• Samples were subjected to HPP at 400 or 600 MPa for varying durations.

Main Results:

• HPP significantly reduced STEC populations in raw meatballs.
• A pressure of 600 MPa required less time (1-3 min) for a ≥ 2.0 log CFU/g reduction compared to 400 MPa (≥ 9 min).
• Meat species and pre-treatment storage (refrigerated vs. frozen) did not significantly affect pathogen reduction.

Conclusions:

• High pressure processing is a viable method for inactivating STEC in raw meatballs.
• Optimizing pressure and time parameters can enhance the effectiveness of HPP.
• HPP offers a promising approach to improve the safety of raw meat products.