COMPARISON OF ORGANIC-ACID SALTS FOR CLOSTRIDIUM-BOTULINUM CONTROL INAN UNCURED TURKEY PRODUCT

Health concerns have led consumers toward purchasing nitrite-free, low salt meat and poultry products. Lacking these barriers to control gro wth of bacterial pathogens, such products carry heightened risks for b otulism, especially if temperature abused. To address this threat, fiv e organic acid salts were evaluated as potential antibotulinal agents. Ground turkey breast was formulated with 1.4% NaCl, 0.3% sodium pyrop hosphate, 06% organic acid salts, 10% ice, and 500 spores per g of a 6 -strain mixture of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum. Vacuum-packaged product (10 g) was heated in 75-degrees-C water for 20 min, cooled, an d incubated for up to 18 d at 28-degrees-C. Botulinal neurotoxin was d etected by mouse bioassay at 2 d in samples which lacked any of the te st compounds. Samples containing 2% acid salt developed neurotoxin, wh ich was detected at 2, 2, 4, 5, and 5 d for pyruvate, citrate, lactate , acetate, and propionate, respectively. With 6% acid salt additions, samples remained neurotoxin free until 7 d with pyruvate, 18 d with ci trate, and >18 d for the remaining compounds. Monocarboxylic acid salt s exhibited antibotulinal activity related to their dissociation const ants (pK(a)). Citrate did not fit this pattern, however, suggesting a different mechanism of action. This study reveals that a variety of or ganic acid salts possess activity that can be used alone or possibly i n combination to enhance the safety of nitrite-free turkey products.