Analyses and Prevention of Microorganism-Evoked Hazards in Fermented Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 7924

Special Issue Editor

Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
Interests: fermented foods; fermentation; food safety; foodborne pathogenic bacteria; spore-forming bacteria; biogenic amines; ethyl carbamate; starter culture; antimicrobial compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fermentation is one of the oldest technologies used in food processing and preservation. A variety of fermented foods have been produced and consumed worldwide for thousands of years, as they are of great importance for human nutrition. Recently, fermented foods and their compositions have been proven to be beneficial for improving human health. Due to their healthy functions, fermented foods have gained global attention and popularity, and consequently, their production, consumption, and exportation and importation continue to increase year after year. In the meantime, the safety issues of fermented foods have been overlooked, not only because humans have consistently utilized fermented foods for centuries or millennia, but also because food scientists have focused primarily on the health-promoting and -protective effects of such foods for decades. However, considering that fermented foods generally cannot be processed by conventional sterilization methods, the risk of microorganism-evoked hazards in such foods may not be negligible. Because various food-borne pathogenic microorganisms and harmful microbial metabolites have been identified and detected in diverse fermented foods, it is critically important to monitor and reduce the risk of food safety crises caused by a variety of causative agents, including microorganisms and metabolites, in foods.

Prof. Jae-Hyung Mah
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Fermented foods
  • Fermentation
  • Food safety
  • Foodborne pathogens
  • Biogenic amines
  • Ethyl carbamate
  • Monitoring and analyses
  • Prevention methods

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 25079 KiB  
Article
Quantification of Process Lethality (5-Log Reduction) of Salmonella and Salt Concentration during Sodium Replacement in Biltong Marinade
by Caitlin Karolenko and Peter Muriana
Foods 2020, 9(11), 1570; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9111570 - 29 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7591
Abstract
Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is commonly used in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products such as biltong, a South African style dried beef product for flavor, enhanced moisture loss, and reduction of microbial growth. However, increased consumption of high sodium content foods is commonly associated [...] Read more.
Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is commonly used in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products such as biltong, a South African style dried beef product for flavor, enhanced moisture loss, and reduction of microbial growth. However, increased consumption of high sodium content foods is commonly associated with high blood pressure and heart disease. This study evaluated the use of alternative salts, potassium chloride (KCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) in the biltong marinade to achieve a ≥ 5-log reduction of Salmonella, a pathogen of concern in beef products. Beef pieces (1.9 cm × 5.1 cm × 7.6 cm) were inoculated with a five-serovar mixture of Salmonella (Salmonella Thompson 120, Salmonella Enteritidis H3527, Salmonella Typhimurium H3380, Salmonella Heidelberg F5038BG1, and Salmonella Hadar MF60404), vacuum-tumbled in a traditional biltong marinade of salt, spices, and vinegar containing either NaCl, KCl or CaCl2 (2.2% concentration) followed by an 8–10 day drying period at 23.9 °C (75 °F) and 55% relative humidity. Microbial enumeration of Salmonella was conducted following inoculation, after marination, and after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days of drying in a humidity/temperature chamber. Biltong produced with CaCl2, NaCl, or KCl achieved a > 5-log reduction of Salmonella after 6, 7, and 8 days, respectively. The Salmonella reduction trends with biltong made with NaCl or CaCl2 were not significantly different (p < 0.05) while both were significantly different from that made with KCl (p > 0.05). Sodium, calcium, and potassium ion concentrations were measured using ion-specific electrode meters following biltong processing and drying. As expected, the biltong made with the corresponding salt had the most abundant ion in the sample. Regardless of the salt used in the marinade, the potassium ion levels were moderately elevated in all samples. This was determined to be from potassium levels naturally present in beef rather than from other ingredients. Sampling of several commercial brands of biltong for sodium content showed that some were significantly above the allowable level of claims made on package ingredient statements. The substitution of NaCl with KCl or CaCl2 during biltong processing can also provide a 5-log reduction of Salmonella to produce a safe product that can be marketed as a more healthy low-sodium food alternative that may appeal to consumers who need to reduce their blood pressure and are conscientious of sodium levels in their diet. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop