Project Title
Development and validation of an antimicrobial database to predict microbial load reduction on raw pork components against Salmonella.
Abstract
The present study represents a time- and cost-efficient alternative to antimicrobial screening. The protocols and techniques implemented can be used to continue to screen many antimicrobials alone or in combination that can be implemented by the meat industry. The obtained results also show that combining well-known and effective antimicrobials, such as lactic acid, with novel ones, such as essential oils, does not always result in a synergistic antimicrobial effect. However, the tools developed in this study can be used to screen other compounds that can be potentially effective alone and/or in combination to further our understanding of antimicrobial activity and to ensure the food safety of pork products in a time- and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the techniques that we implemented can be easily replicated in any similar microbiology laboratory, making these tools available to research and industry laboratories alike as more and more potential antimicrobial compounds become available.
