MINIMUM INHIBITORY CONCENTRATION OF SMOKE WOOD EXTRACTS AGAINST SPOILAGE AND PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH FOODS

Antimicrobial activity of seven commercial smoke preparations (four li quid and three solid) was studied. The minimum inhibitory concentratio n (MIC) was determined against a selection of food spoilage and pathog enic micro-organisms. The main smoke components were identified and qu antified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The most effective c ondensate was S2. All strains except Salmonella enteritidis were inhib ited by S2 with an MIC < 0.5-1.5%. Smoke extract L2 inhibited growth o f Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bracillus subtilis, Stap hylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, L. inocua, Brochothrix ther mosphacta and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis with an MIC of <0.2-0.8%. The condensate L3 inhibited effectively V. vulnificus, B. subtilis, L . innocua and Staph. aureus. L1, (-)L4, S1 and S3 had no inhibitory ef fects at levels tested against most micro-organisms. Vibrio vulnificus was the most susceptible micro-organism to test compounds. The antimi crobial activity of smoke preparations was related to the concentratio n of phenols.