Salmonella control for dried apple cubes
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EmailThe objectives of this study were to determine Salmonella inactivation of the two different thermal treatments.
Abstract
Pathogen contamination in low-moisture foods prepared by drying is a food safety concern. Two thermal treatments were explored in this research as pathogen control measures for apple drying operations: high humidity air heating (HHAH) and ascorbic acid (AA) treatments. Their effectivenesses on Salmonella inactivation were assessed. Apple cubes (6.4 mm) inoculated with a three-strain Salmonella cocktail (S. Enteritidis PT 30, S. Montevideo, and S. Agona 447967) were subjected to HHAH and AA treatments, and then enumerated for the survival of Salmonella. In parallel, uninoculated apple cubes treated with HHAH or AA were dried by hot air at 90 °C for 70 min. The moisture content and color values of the dried apple cubes were measured. The results revealed that HHAH treatment at 70 °C for 16 min, at 90 °C for 9 min, and AA treatment using 3.4% ascorbic solutions at 65 °C for 90 s achieved 6.9 ± 0.4, 6.2 ± 0.2, and 7.9 ± 0.6 log CFU/g reduction, respectively. The moisture content of dried apple cubes was not significantly different, highlighting the potential of these methods for enhancing microbial safety of dried apples. The HHAH treatment resulted in an increased browning effect on dried apple cubes, while the AA treatment reduced the browning of dried apple cubes. This study offers valuable insight into preventive controls for pathogen management in food drying operations.
