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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Watercress is an herb traditionally consumed fresh. If frozen, would be readily available to
consumers. However, pathogenics resistant to frozen storage are a safety concern in this
new product. In this study watercress was artificially contaminated with Pseudomonas
aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Their survival was evaluated
after blanching, frozen storage and temperature fluctuations of the frozen product. The
blanching caused a reduction of about 2 log cfu per gram of product of total viable count
(TVC) and about 1.7 and 1.3 log cfu per gram of product of P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis,
respectively. P. aeruginosa seemed to be more sensitive to temperature abuses than E.
faecalis. After 3 months, TVC was still observed with a reduction of about 3 log cfu per gram
of product. At the end of the study, exposure to freeze–thaw cycles resulted in death or
injury of the microorganisms. These findings on the behaviour of two microorganisms of
concern in frozen watercress will help improving the safety and cold chain settings for this
product.
Description
Keywords
Freezing Thawing Salad Watercress Cultivar Survival Enterococcus Pseudomonas
Pedagogical Context
Citation
"International Journal of Refrigeration". ISSN 0140-7007. 32: 3 (2009) 472-477
Publisher
Elsevier