Temperature cycling between 4 °C and 37 °C could reduce Salmonella viability in low-moisture foods

Low-moisture foods (LMFs) have been linked to Salmonella transmission due to the remarkable resilience of Salmonella against desiccation, allowing its survival for extended periods. Being metabolically inactive, Salmonella in LMFs exhibit extraordinary resistance to inactivation treatments. This study proposes a novel strategy for mitigating Salmonella in LMF products through a temperature cycling (TC) approach. Alternating the temperature between 4 °C and 37 °C on a daily basis reduced the viability of S. Typhimurium air-dried on surfaces by >4 log after 6 days. TC also diminished Salmonella resistance to acidity and reduced its virulence. The mechanism was elucidated through an integrated analysis of transcriptomics and proteomics data. Specifically, transcriptomic data revealed elevated levels of protein synthesis alongside active energy metabolism. Proteomic analysis demonstrated that these protein activities were associated primarily with the heat shock protein response. Taken together, the principal mechanism by which TC exerts its inhibitory effect appears to be the repeated induction of heat shock protein synthesis within Salmonella, ultimately leading to energy depletion. Finally, the efficacy of TC was validated on representative LMF samples, including flour, protein powder, and mixed spices. The most notable effect was observed in the mixed spices, with a reduction of 2.7 ± 0.2 log after 6 days (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the TC approach demonstrated in this study provides valuable insights into the management of foodborne pathogens in LMFs.