Viability of chlorine-injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 on fresh-cut cabbage during cold storage in high CO 2 atmospheres

Abstract

Viability of chlorine-injured E. coli O157:1-17 inoculated onto shredded cabbage was evaluated during storage in air or high CO 2 controlled atmospheres (CA) of 5%, 10%, and 15% at 10°C and in a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at 5°C and 10°C. When shredded cabbage was inoculated with chlorine-injured E. coli O157:H7 (% injury = 65%) and then stored in air or CA at 10°C, counts of E. coli O157:H7 increased during storage and injured E. coli O157:H7 (% injury = 34-66%) were detected on samples throughout the storage regardless of the CO 2 atmosphere. When shredded cabbage inoculated with chlorine-injured E. coli O157:1-17 (% injury = 45-59%) were stored in a MAP using either a high or low oxygen transmission permeability (OTR) package film, the counts of E. coli O157:1-17 increased during storage at 10°C and they remained constant during storage at 5°C. Injured E. coli O157:1-17 were detected on shredded cabbage at a 54-56% level in a low OTR film at 10°C and a 73-74% level in a high OTR film at 5°C. These results indicated that chlorine-injured E. coli O157:1-17 inoculated on fresh-cut cabbage exhibited different degrees of injury during storage in a high CO 2 CA and MAP at 5°C or 10°C.