Effect of Treatment with Heated Scallop Shell Powder on the Inactivation of Naturally Existing Bacteria and Listeria...

This study investigated the efficacy of heated scallop shell powder (HSSP) treatment in preserving chicken thigh meat. Chicken thigh meat was treated with HSSP slurry (1% and 5%) for 60 min, and the variation in aerobic bacteria and coliform populations was assessed during refrigerated storage (10 °C). There was a substantial increase in aerobic bacteria, reaching nearly 7 log₁₀ colony forming unit (CFU)/g following 7 days of refrigeration, in the untreated chicken meat. Conversely, the aerobic bacterial population of the HSSP-treated chicken was <5 log₁₀ CFU/g. Coliform growth in the untreated chicken reached over 5 log₁₀ CFU/g following 7 days. In contrast, the coliform population of the HSSP-treated chicken did not reach 5 log₁₀ CFU/g at 1% HSSP concentration; it was suppressed to <4 log₁₀ CFU/g at 5% concentration. Listeria monocytogenes, which can grow at low temperatures, was inoculated into the chicken meat (5 log₁₀ CFU/g) treated with alcohol, which was followed by HSSP. In the untreated chicken, L. monocytogenes increased to 9 log₁₀ CFU/g even when refrigerated for 7 days. However, in the chicken treated with 5% HSSP, L. monocytogenes was suppressed to approximately 3 log₁₀ CFU/g. These findings reveal that HSSP treatment is an effective method for disinfecting meat, inhibiting bacterial growth, and enhancing preservation.