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Cronobacter sakazakii Inactivation by Microwave Processing

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Abstract

Nowadays, current practices at home and childcare settings involved MW heating after powder infant formula milk reconstitution. Microwave (MW) effectiveness for Cronobacter sakazakii inactivation in reconstituted powder infant formula milk was investigated. Power levels in the range 400–900 W were tested during exposure times ranging from 0 to 120 s. Power levels of 800 and 900 W reduced the C. sakazakii initial population to undetectable levels (≥8 log10 cycles), reaching maximum temperatures of 78.8 ± 2.3 °C and 88.1 ± 1.5 °C, respectively. A post-treatment storage study (5 °C, 24 h) was completed to determine the recovery or death of C. sakazakii damaged and survival cells. It was observed that lowest MW intensity treatments (power level and treatment time) provide the highest percentages of injured cells. Moreover, these high percentages of damaged cells progressively die during refrigerated storage (up to 24 h). Microbial reduction levels higher or equal to 5 log10 cycles were reached due to the sublethal damaged cell death.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for providing financial support by means of CYCIT project AGL2010-22206-C02, and to Generalitat Valenciana I+D+I emergent research groups financial support in project GV/2010/064.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento Conservación y Calidad, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Avda. Agustin Escardino, 7, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain

    Maria C. Pina-Pérez, Dolores Rodrigo & Antonio Martinez

  2. Departamento Tecnología de Alimentos, Grupo Investigación e Innovación en Alimentos, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Maria Benlloch-Tinoco

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  1. Maria C. Pina-Pérez
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  2. Maria Benlloch-Tinoco
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  3. Dolores Rodrigo
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  4. Antonio Martinez
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Correspondence to Antonio Martinez.

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Pina-Pérez, M.C., Benlloch-Tinoco, M., Rodrigo, D. et al. Cronobacter sakazakii Inactivation by Microwave Processing. Food Bioprocess Technol 7, 821–828 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-013-1063-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-013-1063-2

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