Determination of sensory thresholds of Mentha piperita L. essential oil in selected tropical fruit juices and efficacy of sensory accepted concentrations combined with mild heat to inactivate foodborne pathogens

This study determined the compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and rejection threshold (RT) of Mentha piperita L. essential oil (MPEO) in caja, guava and mango juices. The MPEO concentrations below the RT values were evaluated alone or combined with mild heat treatment (MHT; 54 °C) to inactivate ≥5‐log₁₀ of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enteritidis PT 4 in the same juices. The CAT of MPEO varied from 0.30 to 0.32 μL mL⁻¹, while the RT was 1.34 or 1.36 μL mL⁻¹ in the tested juices. Only concentrations of MPEO close, or higher than the RT caused ≥5‐log₁₀ reductions in the tested pathogens in caja, guava and mango juices. Combined with MHT, concentrations of MPEO below the RT reduced ≥5‐log₁₀ of both pathogens in juices. These findings indicate that MPEO concentrations below the RT in combination with MHT is a feasible preservation technology to ensure the safety of tropical fruit juices.