Control of nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum types B and E in crab analogs by combinations of heat pasteurization and water phase salt

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 130 - 139
• Main Authors: PETERSON, M. E, PARANJPYE, R. N, POYSKY, F. T, PELROY, G. A, EKLUND, M. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians 2002
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Botulinum Toxins - biosynthesis; Brachyura; Clostridium botulinum; Clostridium botulinum - drug effects; Clostridium botulinum - growth & development; Fish and seafood industries; Fish Products - microbiology; Food Handling - methods; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Food Preservation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hot Temperature; Sodium Chloride - pharmacology; Spores, Bacterial; Time Factors; Temperature; Heat treatment; Clostridium botulinum; Microbiological testing; Pasteurization; Clostridiales; Inactivation; Chemical treatment; Pathogenic; Quality; Clostridiaceae; Food preservation; Bacteria; Fish product; Biological contamination; Surimi; Sodium Chlorides
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X-65.1.130

Water phase sodium chloride (WPS) levels of 1.8 to 3.0% in combination with heat pasteurization for 15 min at temperatures of 75, 80, 85, and 90 degrees C were evaluated as methods for the inactivation or inhibition of nonproteolytic, psychrotrophic Clostridium botulinum types B and E in crab analogs (imitation crab legs) subsequently stored at 10 and 25 degrees C. Samples inoculated with 10(2) type B or E spores per g prior to pasteurization remained nontoxic for 120 days at 10 degrees C and for 15 days at 25 degrees C. With 10(4) type E spores per g and 80 degrees C pasteurization, > or = 2.4 and 2.7% WPS was required for inhibition at 10 and 25 degrees C storage, respectively. Pasteurization at 85 degrees C decreased the inhibitory level of WPS to 2.1% at 10 degrees C and to 2.4% at 25 degrees C. When the inoculum was 10(4) type B spores per g, samples with 2.7% WPS were toxic after 80 days of storage at 10 degrees C. Samples inoculated with 10(3) type B spores per g and processed at 85 degrees C remained nontoxic for 15 days at 25 degrees C with a WPS of > or = 2.4%. When pasteurization was carried out before inoculation and packaging, 1.8% WPS prevented toxin production by 10(2) and 10(4) type E spores per g for 30 days at 10 degrees C, and this time period increased as the WPS concentrations increased. Three percent WPS prevented toxin production by 10(4) type E spores per g in vacuum-packaged analogs stored 110 days at 10 degrees C. Pasteurization processes used in these experiments, however, do not inactivate the heat-resistant proteolytic types of Clostridium botulinum. Therefore, the most important factor controlling the growth of this bacterium is continuous refrigeration below 3.0 degrees C or frozen storage of the finished product.