SURVIVAL OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ON JERKY CONTAMINATED POSTPROCESSING

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the survival of Listeria monocytogenes on jerky inoculated postprocessing and treated with sodium lactate or hot water dip. After drying at 60C for 3, 6, 9 or 12 h, jerky slices were removed from the smokehouse and dipped in a cocktail of L. monocytogenes. Samples were vacuum packaged (control), vacuum packaged and dipped in 72C water for 20 s or dipped in 2% sodium lactate. Samples were stored for 0, 3, 6, 9 or 12 weeks. Packages dipped in 72C water for 20 s resulted in a slight significant reduction (0.42 log) of L. monocytogenes on jerky initially compared to either the control or sodium lactate dip. After 3 weeks of storage, water dip (3.1 log reduction) was similar to control (3.2 log reduction), but had significantly fewer L. monocytogenes surviving than sodium lactate‐dipped (2.7 log reduction) slices. After 6 weeks of storage, control and water‐dipped jerky slices had below detectable limits of L. monocytogenes.