Thermal inactivation kinetics of Salmonella spp. in ground pork supplemented with cinnamaldehyde

This study combined four concentrations of cinnamaldehyde (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0% vol/wt) and four temperatures (55, 60, 65 and 70 °C) to predict the thermal inactivation curves of Salmonella spp. in ground pork. The meat samples were inoculated by a strain mixture including a S. Enteritidis and a S. Typhimurium. Experimental results showed that the cinnamaldehyde supplementation in ground pork improved the thermal inactivation of Salmonella spp. For example, when the ground pork sample was supplemented by 1% cinnamaldehyde, the time for achieving a 7-log reduction of Salmonella spp. declined from 43.75 to 12.07 min at 55 °C. By contrast, the logistic model successfully described the primary thermal inactivation. Thereafter, based on the 7.0-log lethality, secondary models were fitted by selected quadratic fit model rather than other models, because it produced the highest correlation coefficient (r) and determination coefficient (R2) values that were close to 1, as well as the lowest mean square error, and root mean square error values that were close to 0. Practical applications In food processing factory, the quadratic fit model has the potential to be used for designing the processing temperatures and time required to effectively inactivate Salmonella spp. in ground pork supplemented with cinnamaldehyde.