Combining Antimicrobial and Steam Treatments in a Vacuum‐packaging System to Control Listeria monocytogenes on Ready‐to‐eat Franks

ABSTRACT: This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of steam or steam in combination with an antimicrobial agent to control Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat (RTE) franks. The franks were surface-inoculated to contain 6 or 3 log10(colony-forming units [CFU])/cm2 of L. monocytogenes and treated with steam or steam in combination with an antimicrobial agent, immediately followed by vacuum-sealing the top films of frank packages (6 franks per package in a single layer). Three log (CFU) /cm2 of reductions were achieved at the both inoculation levels for L. monocytogenes on franks. At an inoculation level of 3 logs, no outgrowth of L. monocytogenes was obtained on the treated franks after storing at 4.4°C or 16°C for a combined 47 d. This study provided an alternative approach for controlling L. monocytogenes in packaged franks.