INHIBITION OF SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM ON POULTRY BY THE LACTOPEROXIDASE SYSTEM

The antibacterial activity of the lactoperoxidase (LP) system on the g rowth and survival of a naladixic acid resistant strain of salmonella typhimurium on poultry was determined. The LP system treatment, which consisted of lactoperoxidase (1 mu g/ml), potassium thiocyanate (5.9 m M), and hydrogen peroxide (2.5 mM) final concentrations) in water, red uced the level of Salmonella on inoculated chicken legs. The magnitude of reduction was dependent on temperature and time. For a water tempe rature of 25C and a time of 30 min, a 13.2% reduction was seen, as com pared to a water temperature of 60C and a time of 15 min which showed a 80.6% reduction. In a 48 h shelf-life study, the LP system controlle d growth of psychrotrophic bacteria on chicken legs. Hunterlab color v alues (L, a, b) for chicken thigh skin and oxidative deterioration as measured by TBA values for chicken thigh meat did not significantly di ffer (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) between control and treated thi ghs.