The Clostridium sp. is a large group of spore-forming, facultative or strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria that can produce food poisoning. The table olive industry is demanding alternative formulations to respond to market demand for the reduction of acidity and salt contents in final products. while maintaining the appearance of freshness of fruits. In this work, logistic regression models for non-adapted and acid-adapted Clostridium sp. strains were developed in laboratory medium to study the influence of pH, NaCl (%) and time on the probability of germination of their spores. A Clostridium sporogenes cocktail was not able to germinate at pH < 5.0, although the adaptation of the strains produced an increase in the probability of germination at 5.0–5.5 pH levels and 6% NaCl concentration. At acidic pH values (5.0), the adapted strains germinated after 10 days of incubation, while those which were non-adapted required 15 days. At pH 5.75 and with 4% NaCl, germination of the adapted strains took place before 7 days, while several replicates of the non-adapted strains did not germinate after 42 days of storage. The model was validated in natural green olive brines with good results (>81.7% correct prediction cases). The information will be useful for the industry and administration to assess the safety risk in the formulation of new processing conditions in table olives and other fermented vegetables.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) conditions on the physicochemical and sensory properties of ozonated freeze-dried chicken meat stored at 21±1°C for 28days. To this end, 14 MAP treatments were performed to obtain the most suitable packaging atmosphere. High concentrations of O2 in MAP promoted loss of redness and increased the pH values. Moreover, when the concentration of CO2 in MAP was more than 40%, high values of textural parameters and low scores of sensory hardness and chewiness were achieved. The 20%CO2/80%N2 gas combination was found to be the most effective treatment for best maintaining the physicochemical and sensory quality of ozonated dried chicken samples similar to that of raw meat.

In this study, the growth of six L. monocytogenes strains isolated from different fish products was quantified and modeled in smoked salmon pâté at a temperature ranging from 2 to 20 °C. The experimental data obtained for each strain was fitted to the primary growth model of Baranyi and Roberts to estimate the following kinetic parameters: lag phase (λ), maximum specific growth rate (μ_max), and maximum cell density (N_max). Then, the effect of storage temperature on the obtained μ_max values was modeled by the Ratkowsky secondary model. In general, the six L. monocytogenes strains showed rapid growth in salmon pâté at all storage temperatures, with a relatively short lag phase λ, even at 2 °C. The growth behavior among the tested strains was similar at the same storage temperature, although significant differences were found for the parameters λ and μ_max. Besides, the growth variations among the strains did not follow a regular pattern. The estimated secondary model parameter T_min ranged from −4.25 to −3.19 °C. This study provides accurate predictive models for the growth of L. monocytogenes in fish pâtés that can be used in shelf life and microbial risk assessment studies. In addition, the models generated in this work can be implemented in predictive modeling tools and repositories that can be reliably and easily used by the fish industry and end-users to establish measures aimed at controlling the growth of L. monocytogenes in fish-based pâtés.

In recent years, interest in postbiotics has grown due to their potential health benefits and applications in food systems. This study evaluated various nutritional sources for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation to enhance postbiotic production. Three LAB strains were tested: Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 9879 (PA), Weissella cibaria CECT 30731 (WC), and Lactococcus lactis CECT 30734 (LL). Fermentation experiments assessed bacterial growth, pH levels, and antibacterial activity against E. coli using different carbon and nitrogen sources. Fructose and xylose significantly improved growth in WC (9.39 ± 0.16 log CFU/mL) and LL (9.37 ± 0.22 log CFU/mL) compared to glucose. Ribose enhanced antimicrobial activity in PA (41.67 ± 2.89%) and WC (50.00 ± 0.00%) relative to glucose. Additionally, plant-based nitrogen sources, such as soy (LL: 8.93 ± 0.12 log CFU/mL and 81.67 ± 2.89%) and wheat (WC: 9.40 ± 0.17 log CFU/mL and 65.00 ± 0.00%), along with microbial sources like yeast (PA: 9.57 ± 0.12 log CFU/mL and 40.00 ± 0.00%), effectively supported growth and antibacterial activity. These findings highlight the potential of developing animal-free fermentation media that meet nutritional, safety, and sustainability criteria while making a significant contribution to the optimization of postbiotic production.

Ozonated olive oils have emerged as a promising alternative for natural antimicrobial agents in the food industry due to their potential to inhibit microbial growth. However, the stability and effectiveness of these oils under different storage conditions has not been thoroughly explored. This study examines the changes in the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of ozonated virgin olive oil (VOO) and pomace olive oil (POO), stored at 4 °C and 20 °C for 6 months. The peroxide index (PI), acidity index (AI), iodine value (IV), and viscosity (V) were analyzed, along with their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (STCC 45), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (STCC109), and Staphylococcus aureus (STCC 239). The results showed that both oils underwent changes in their physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity over time. The PI initially increased up to day 30, with VOO reaching a peak value of 741.44 ± 32.16 meq O₂/kg and POO reaching 1067.23 ± 56.56 meq O₂/kg, but after this point, it began to decrease in both oils and at both temperatures (4 °C and 20 °C). The acidity index (AI) increased over time, particularly in POO, which reached a final value of 6.32 ± 0.14 mg KOH/g. Both oils showed a reduction in iodine value (IV), and an increase in viscosity (V) over time. In terms of antimicrobial activity, P. aeruginosa remained stable with an average inhibition zone of 9.41 ± 0.23 mm, while E. coli showed the greatest increase in activity over time, reaching 21.31 ± 4.01 mm in POO at 20 °C. On the other hand, S. aureus exhibited the highest average antimicrobial activity, with a mean inhibition diameter of 14.49 ± 0.36 mm, and the largest inhibition zone of Ø = 18.97 ± 1.46 mm observed after 180 days of storage. A Spearman correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship (ρ > 0.85, p < 0.05) among PI, AI, and the antimicrobial activity with storage duration. This study provides novel insights into the stability of ozonated oils, offering valuable perspectives for their application in the food industry, especially using pomace olive oil, a key by-product in olive oil production.

The effects of ozonation on the Total Polyphenol Content (TPC) of olive oils remain largely unexplored, despite the significant role that polyphenols play in enhancing the health benefits and quality of these oils. Understanding how ozone treatment impacts phenolic compounds is vital, especially considering the documented negative effects of thermal and photochemical oxidation on TPC. The aim of this study was to explore the use of fluorescence spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to develop multivariate models for monitoring the effects of ozonation on TPC and key physicochemical parameters such as the peroxide index (PI), acidity index (AI), iodine value (IV) and viscosity (V) in both, virgin and pomace olive oils. Parallel factor analysis and principal component analysis of fluorescence excitation–emission matrices (EEMs) of ozonated olive oils revealed that as the ozonation process progressed, TPC and fluorescence emission decreased. And, at the same time, ozonation increased the values of oxidation indicators such as PI, AI, viscosity and intensity of the Rayleigh scattering signal. PLS models based on analysis of unfolded EEMs exhibited good predictive performance for PI (R² = 0.822; RPD > 2.5), and moderate for TPC and V (R² = 0.792 and 0.753; RPD > 2). In summary, we demonstrated the feasibility of EEM spectroscopy for monitoring the ozonation process. The use of this method can ease the characterization of ozonated olive oils and, additionally, make the analysis more sustainable.