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.