Development of a bio-preservation method for extended shelf-life cook-chill systems

Abstract

Extended shelf-life cook-chill meals can pose a potential risk of botulism if they are subjected to a temperature abuse. Spores of group II non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum can survive the mild heat treatment typically given to these products and can grow at refrigeration temperatures. To circumvent this safety issue, existing preservation methods can either affect the sensory properties of these foods or damage their image. Therefore, additional natural preservation hurdles are needed. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a novel bio-preservation method based on the principle of antibiosis between protective cultures (PCs) and C. botulinum. Consequently, the objectives were to select effective anti-botulinal cultures and study their inhibition pattern in microbiological media and foods, identify the conditions for effective inhibition and the nature of the antibiosis. This research demonstrates for the first time that the bacteriocinogenic protective cultures inoculated at high levels had an anti-botulinal effect in a range of commercial cook-chill products, which supported active growth of non-proteolytic C. botulinum. The protocol for commercial application of the protective cultures was developed.

Date of Award	2003
Original language	English