Inactivation of listeria monocytogenes on frozen red raspberries by using uv-c light

Abstract

In this study, the efficacy of UV-C treatment was determined on the reduction of foodborne pathogens on artificially contaminated frozen food surfaces. At first, the UV-C inactivation rates on 100 ll of the respective cocktails of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes covered underneath 0.5-cm-thick ice were examined. Simultaneously, the energy percentage of UV-C transmitted through the ice was determined. The experiments showed that more than 65% of the UVC light energy passed through the ice and that UV-C susceptibility was in the descending order of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes, the most UV-C-resistant strain, was then selected to test on frozen raspberries. The UV-C inactivation kinetic data of L. monocytogenes were well described using the Weibull equation. During 720 s of UV-C exposure, with a total dose of 7.8 3 102 mJ/cm2, a 1.5-log CFU/g reduction of L. monocytogenes population on the surface of frozen red raspberries was noted. No significant differences in total anthocyanins, total phenolics, and total antioxidant activity were observed between UV-C-treated and untreated frozen berries immediately after treatment. At the end of 9 months of storage at 358C, UV-C-treated berries had statistically lower total phenolics, higher total anthocyanins, and similar total antioxidant activity compared with untreated berries. This study shows that UV-C light can be used to reduce the L. monocytogenes population on frozen raspberries.