BEHAVIOR OF SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM DT104 DURING THE MANUFACTURE AND STORAGE OF PEPPERONI

Pepperoni batter (ca. 70% pork:30% beef) was prepared and subsequently inoculated with a six-strain cocktail (ca. 4.4 x 10(7) per gram batte r) of Salmonella typhimurium DT104. After fermentation at 36 degrees C and 92% relative humidity (RH) to less than or equal to pH 4.8, count s of the pathogen decreased by about 1.3 log(10) units. An additional 1.6 log(10) unit decrease was observed following drying at 13 degrees C and 65% RH to a moisture protein ratio (M/Pr) of 1.6:1. After storag e of pepperoni sticks for 56 days under vacuum at 4 or 21 degrees C, c ounts of the pathogen were about 4.6 and 6.6 log(10) units lower, resp ectively, compared with starting levels in the batter. These data esta blish that fermentation and drying result in about a 3.0 log(10) reduc tion in numbers of S typhimurium DT104 in pepperoni sticks and that st orage of pepperoni sticks under vacuum at ambient temperature is more severe on the pathogen than refrigerated storage. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience B.V.