INVESTIGATING THE SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF CITROSPET, CITRICIDAL, CAPRYLIC ACID, CARVACROL, LACTIC ACID AND HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

Abstract

The increasing consumption of fresh produce poses a health risk due to microbial contamination, as these products are typically consumed raw and undergo minimal processing. Microbial contamination can occur at any stage from farming to consumer consumption, so foodborne illnesses have increased because of outbreaks linked to these foods. While High-pressure processing (HPP) improves food safety and extends the shelf life of food products, it is possible that some sub-lethal microorganisms could recover during storage. To enhance the preservative effect of HPP, combining it with natural antimicrobial compounds may produce a synergistic effect against microorganisms. Providing the additional assurance of HPP, some natural bioactive compounds can be the possible alternatives. The current study investigates the synergistic impact of HPP and natural antimicrobials — Citrospet, Citricidal, Caprylic acid, Carvacrol, and Lactic Acid on the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. This study used a constant inoculum of 10^7 CFU/ml, exposed to 400 MPa pressure intensity, with 0.01% antimicrobial additives, for 0, 3, and 5 minutes at 25℃. Our findings demonstrate that Caprylic acid and Carvacrol were most effective in deactivating S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, with a reduction of 3.4-4 log CFU/ml for S. aureus and 4-5 log CFU/ml for L. monocytogenes compared to the control. These research findings suggest that HPP, combined with natural antimicrobials, can significantly reduce foodborne pathogens, offering an important advancement in food safety technology. Further research is needed to refine these methods and develop comprehensive protocols to ensure consistent and effective microbial control in food products