Conventional and Innovative Hygienization of Feedstock for Biogas Production: Resistance of Indicator Bacteria to Thermal Pasteurization, Pulsed Electric Field Treatment, and Anaerobic Digestion

Animal by-products (ABP) can be valorized via anaerobic digestion (AD) for biogas energy generation. The digestate issued from AD process is usually used to fertilize farming land for agricultural activities, which may cause potential sanitary risk to the environment. The European Union (EU) requires that certain ABP be thermally pasteurized in order to minimize this sanitary risk. This process is called hygienization, which can be replaced by alternative nonthermal technologies like pulsed electric field (PEF). In the present study, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 were used as indicator bacteria. Their resistance to thermal pasteurization and PEF treatment were characterized. Results show that Ent. faecalis and E. coli are reduced by 5 log10 in less than 1 min during thermal pasteurization at 70 °C. The critical electric field strength was estimated at 18 kV∙cm−1 for Ent. faecalis and 1 kV∙cm−1 for E. coli. “G+” bacteria Ent. faecalis are generally more resistant than “G−” bacteria E. coli. AD process also plays an important role in pathogens inactivation, whose performance depends on the microorganisms considered, digestion temperature, residence time, and type of feedstock. Thermophilic digestion is usually more efficient in pathogens removal than mesophilic digestion.