Plant Extracts and Essential Oils at Concentrations Acceptable to a Sensory Panel Inactivate Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in Ground Pork

A potential method to inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth in meat is through the introduction of plant-derived antimicrobials. Because these antimicrobials may also adversely affect sensory characteristics meat, objectives this study were 1) define appropriate concentrations olive extract, apple oregano oil, and cinnamon oil added ground pork that are acceptable a panel, 2) determine their antimicrobial activities against Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 inoculated pork. Plant extracts evaluated two initial inoculum levels (6 4 log CFU/g pork) Salmonella. Sensory tests showed oils 0.5% 3%, respectively. Ground samples with Salmonella, treated at various (0.1% - essential 3% 5% extracts), stored 4°C for 7 days. Survivors enumerated days 0, 3, 5, 7. Cinnamon extract induced 1.0 0.9 (from 6-log inoculum) reduction, respectively, day At 1.06 maximum reduction from 4-log inoculum. Pork containing did not show significant compared control without The results indicate can potentially be applied consumer-acceptable low S.