The control of Clostridium botulinum during extended storage of pressure-treated, cooked chicken

- Clostridium botulinum spores germinated and multiplied in HPP cooked chicken.
- Some measure to control C. botulinum is required in HPP cooked chicken.
- Oxygen-permeable packaging controlled the outgrowth of C. botulinum spores.
- 2% sodium lactate controlled the outgrowth of C. botulinum spores.
- Weissella viridescens, a possible protective culture, did not survive cooking.

High pressure processing (HPP) is used as a post-process decontamination treatment to ensure that cooked chicken is free from Listeria monocytogenes and other food poisoning bacteria. However HPP does not inactivate bacterial endospores and the conditions in cooked chicken could support the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Therefore some method for controlling the germination of spores and their subsequent growth would be necessary to ensure a safe product over an extended storage period.A five strain cocktail of non-proteolytic C. botulinum was inoculated into raw chicken mince, which was cooked and then pressure treated at 600 MPa for 2 min at 20 °C. C. botulinum survived cooking and HPP and subsequently grew in the pressure-treated, cooked chicken during storage. Germination and growth was controlled when 2% w/w sodium lactate was added and when oxygen-permeable packaging was used. Weissella viridescens was not suitable for use as a protective culture to control the growth of C. botulinum.