Antimicrobial effect of garlic against foodborne pathogens in ground mutton.

The antimicrobial effect of fresh garlic (20, 30, and 50 g/kg) and the equivalent concentrations of garlic oil (80, 120, and 200 mg/kg) was investigated in ground mutton during storage at 4 °C. By day 6 and thereafter, mutton meatballs treated with 50 g/kg of fresh garlic and 200 mg/kg garlic oil exhibited a significant decline in psychrotrophic and Pseudomonas counts in comparison with control. Fresh garlic added at a concentration of 50 g/kg exhibited the highest antimicrobial effect, followed by garlic oil at 200 mg/kg, fresh garlic at 30 g/kg, and garlic oil at 120 mg/kg. By the 15th day of storage, the fresh garlic added at concentrations of 50 and 30 g/kg and garlic oil added at concentrations of 120, and 200 mg/kg inactivated the populations of foodborne pathogens artificially inoculated into ground mutton and exhibited significant (P < 0.01) lower counts in Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus by more than 3 logs CFU/g, in comparison to control. Therefore, fresh garlic and garlic oil can be used as natural antimicrobial food additives to extend the shelf life and inactivate the populations of foodborne pathogens in meat products.

Ensuring safety and improving keeping quality of meatballs by addition of sesame oil and sesamol as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents.

The antioxidant and antimicrobial effect of sesame oil (10, 30, and 50 g/kg) and sesamol (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 g/kg) in meatballs during cold storage for 18 days at 3 ± 1 °C was investigated. Sesame oil and sesamol did not alter the sensory attributes of meatballs. Addition of either sesame oil or sesamol significantly delayed lipid oxidation when compared with control. Sesamol exhibited more potent antioxidant activities more than sesame oil. During storage, the aerobic plate counts (APCs) and Enterobacteriaceae counts (EBCs) were markedly (P < 0.01) decreased in meatballs treated with sesame oil or sesamol in comparison with untreated control samples. Control meatballs showed signs of quality deterioration at day 7 of storage, while treated meatballs exhibited longer shelf lifes ranged from 9-18 days according to sesame oil or sesamol concentrations. Both sesame oil and sesamol induced marked (P < 0.01) decline in the counts of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes that artificially inoculated to meatballs. Sesamol was more effective than sesame oil in the reduction of APCs, EBCs as well as foodborne pathogens. The results suggest that both sesame oil and sesamol are potentially useful natural additives to fresh meat products for improving its microbial quality and extending its shelf life during cold storage.