Use of UV light for the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and lactic acid bacteria species in recirculated chill brines

Abstract

Ready-to-eat meat products have been implicated in several foodborne listeriosis outbreaks. Microbial contamination of these products can occur after thermal processing when products are chilled in salt brines. The objective of this study was to evaluate UV radiation on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and lactic acid bacteria in a model brine chiller system. Two concentrations of brine (7.9% [wt/wt] or 13.2% [wt/wt]) were inoculated with a approximately 6.0 log CFU/ml cocktail of L. monocytogenes or lactic acid bacteria and passed through a UV treatment system for 60 min. Three replications of each bacteria-and-brine combination were performed and resulted in at least a 4.5-log reduction in microbial numbers in all treated brines after exposure to UV light. Bacterial populations were significantly reduced after 5 min of exposure to UV light in the model brine chiller compared with the control, which received no UV light exposure (P < 0.05). The maximum rate of inactivation for both microorganisms in treated brines occurred between minutes 1 and 15 of UV exposure. Results indicate that in-line treatment of chill brines with UV light reduces the number of L. monocytogenes and lactic acid bacteria.