Quantitative investigation on the effects of chemical treatments in reducing Listeria monocytogenes populations on chicken breast meat

The effectiveness of treatments for the reduction of Listeria monocytogenes surface-inoculated in chicken breast meat was investigated. The treatments consisted of dipping breasts in chemical solutions for 15 min: buffered phosphate (control), calcium hypochlorite, trichloroisocyanuric acid, sodium acetate, sodium lactate, l-lactic acid or trisodium phosphate. The rates of inactivation observed with the chlorine compounds were similar, and in the presence of 100 mg/l of active chlorine viability decreased by 4.41 log units, compared with less than 1.0 log unit decrease observed when cells were submitted to 45 mg/l of active chlorine. Sodium lactate at 2.5% was a more effective antilisterial agent, producing a reduction of 3.88 log units. The present study extends existing findings on the importance of the use of lactic acid, sodium acetate, sodium lactate, trisodium phosphate (chemically classified as GRAS) and chlorine compounds on the inactivation of L. monocytogenes.