In published data the thermal destruction of Salmonella species in peanut butter deviates from pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reasons for such deviation are unknown. This study examined both the method used to measure the thermal destruction rate and the method of growth of the microorganisms to explain variations in destruction kinetics. Growth on a solid matrix results in a different physiological state that may provide greater resistance to adverse environments. In this study, Salmonella Tennessee and Oranienburg were grown for 24 h at 37°C under aerobic conditions in broth and agar media to represent planktonic and sessile cell growth, respectively. Peanut butter was held at 25°C and tested for Salmonella levels immediately after inoculation and at various time intervals up to 2 weeks. Thermal resistance was measured at 85°C by use of a newly developed thin-layer metal sample holder. Although thermal heat transfer through the metal device resulted in longer tau values than those obtained with plastic bags (32.5 ± 0.9 versus 12.4 ± 1.9 s), the bags have a relative variability of about 15 % compared with about 3 % in the plates, allowing improved uniformity of sample treatment. The two serovars tested in the thin-layer device showed similar overall thermal resistance levels in peanut butter regardless of growth in sessile or planktonic states. However, thermal destruction curves from sessile cultures exhibited greater linearity than those obtained from planktonic cells (P = 0.0198 and 0.0047 for Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Tennessee, respectively). In addition, both Salmonella serovars showed significantly higher survival in peanut butter at 25°C when originally grown on solid media (P = 0.001) with a <1-log loss over 2 weeks as opposed to a 1- to 2-log loss when grown in liquid culture. Consequently, the use of cells grown on solid media may more accurately assess the survival of Salmonella at different temperatures in a low-water-activity environment such as peanut butter.

Microbial contamination of peanut butter by Salmonella poses a significant health risk as Salmonella may remain viable throughout the product shelf life. Effective cleaning and sanitation of processing lines are essential for preventing cross-contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a cleaning and sanitation procedure involving hot oil and 60% isopropanol, ± quaternary ammonium compounds, to decontaminate pilot-scale processing equipment harboring Salmonella. Peanut butter inoculated with a cocktail of four Salmonella serovars (∼ 7 log CFU/g) was used to contaminate the equipment (∼ 75 L). The system was then emptied of peanut butter and treated with hot oil (90 °C) for 2 h followed by sanitizer for 1 h. Microbial analysis of food-contact surfaces (7 locations), peanut butter, and oil were conducted. Oil contained ∼ 3.2 log CFU/mL on both trypticase soy agar with yeast extract (TSAYE) and xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD), indicating hot oil alone was not sufficient to inactivate Salmonella. Environmental sampling found 0.25-1.12 log CFU/cm(2) remaining on processing equipment. After the isopropanol sanitation (± quaternary ammonium compounds), no Salmonella was detected in environmental samples on XLD (<0.16 log CFU/cm(2)). These data suggest that a two-step hot oil clean and isopropanol sanitization treatment may eliminate pathogenic Salmonella from contaminated equipment.

One intrinsic characteristic of low-moisture foods that is frequently overlooked is pH. Although pH affects the survival of microorganisms in high-moisture foods, its influence in low-mois... HIGHLIGHTS E. coli O157:H7 was significantly less resistant to desiccation than was E. coli O121. Both Salmonella serotypes were more desiccation resistant than both E. coli strains. The pH during ...

Tahini, a low-moisture food that is made from sesame seeds, has been implicated in outbreaks of salmonellosis. In this study, the fate of Salmonella was determined through an entire process for the manufacture of tahini, including a 24-h seed soaking period before roasting, subsequent grinding, and storage at refrigeration temperature. Salmonella populations increased by more than 3 log CFU/g during a 24-h soaking period, reaching more than 7 log CFU/g. Survival of Salmonella during roasting at three temperatures, 95, 110, and 130°C, was assessed using seeds on which Salmonella was grown. Salmonella survival was impacted both by temperature and the water activity (a_w) at the beginning of the roasting period. When roasted at 130°C with a high initial a_w (≥0.90) and starting Salmonella populations of ∼8.5 log CFU/g, populations quickly decreased below detection limits within the first 10 min. However, when the seeds were reduced to an a_w of 0.45 before roasting at the same temperature, 3.5 log CFU/g remained on the seeds after 60 min. In subsequent storage studies, seeds were roasted at 130°C for 15 min before processing into tahini. For the storage studies, tahini was inoculated using two methods. The first method used seeds on which Salmonella was first grown before roasting. In the second method, Salmonella was inoculated into the tahini after manufacture. All tahini was stored for 119 days at 4°C. No change in Salmonella populations was recorded for tahini throughout the entire 119 days regardless of the inoculation method used. These combined results indicate the critical importance of a_w during a roasting step during tahini manufacture. Salmonella that survive roasting will likely remain viable throughout the normal shelf life of tahini.

Inoculation of a food product for use in subsequent validation studies typically makes use of a high concentration cocktail of microorganisms suspended in aqueous media. However, this inoculation method may prove difficult particularly when the food product is a low-moisture food containing antimicrobial compounds, such as some dried spices. In this study, a dry transfer method for inoculation of clove powder, oregano leaves, ginger powder, and ground black pepper with a five-serovar cocktail of Salmonella was developed and compared with a traditional aqueous inoculation procedure. Spices were inoculated at three levels, 10, 8, and 6 log CFU/g, by using both an aqueous suspension of Salmonella and a dry transfer of Salmonella from previously inoculated silica beads. At the highest inoculation level, the dry transfer method resulted in a significantly higher microbial load (P < 0.05) for ground cloves and oregano, but not for ginger and ground black pepper. At the intermediate inoculation level, d...