Inhibition of Campylobacter jejuni on fresh chicken breasts by κ-carrageenan/chitosan-based coatings containing allyl isothiocyanate or deodorized oriental mustard extract

• AITC was bactericidal to 4 C. jejuni strains at both 37 °C and 4 °C.
• C. jejuni strains hydrolyzed mustard glucosinolate and were inhibited at 35 °C.
• κ-Carrageenan/chitosan with ≥ 50 μl/g AITC eliminated C. jejuni on chicken by 5 d.
• Coatings with 300 mg/g mustard extract reduced C. jejuni by 2.8 log at 4 °C and 21 d.

Campylobacter species are common bacterial pathogens associated with human gastroenteritis worldwide. The objectives of this study were to determine the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MBC) concentrations of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against 4 Campylobacter jejuni strains in Mueller–Hinton (MH) broth at 4, 21, 37 and 42 °C and to screen the C. jejuni strains for their ability to degrade sinigrin (which forms AITC) in pH 7.0 MH broth at 35 °C for 21 d. Also evaluated was the antimicrobial activity of an edible 0.2% κ-carrageenan/2% chitosan-based coating containing AITC or deodorized oriental mustard extract against a 4 strain C. jejuni cocktail (6.2 log10 CFU/g) on vacuum-packaged fresh chicken breasts during 4 °C storage. MIC values of AITC were 0.63 to 1.25 ppm and 2.5 to 5 ppm against tested strains at 37 and 42 °C, respectively. However, the MBC was 2.5 and 5 ppm at 37 and 42 °C, respectively, and increased to a range of 40 to 160 ppm at 4 °C. κ-Carrageenan/chitosan-based coatings containing 50 or 100 μl/g AITC reduced viable C. jejuni to undetectable levels on chicken breast after 5 d at 4 °C, while 25 μl/g AITC or 200 to 300 mg/g mustard extract in coatings reduced C. jejuni numbers by 1.75 to 2.78 log10 CFU/g more than control coatings without antimicrobial. Both oriental mustard extract (50 to 300 mg/g) and AITC (≥ 25 μl/g) reduced aerobic bacteria by 1.72 to 2.75 log10 CFU/g and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) by 0.94 to 3.36 log10 CFU/g by 21 d compared to the control coating. κ-Carrageenan/chitosan coatings containing ≥ 50 μl/g AITC or ≥ 300 mg/g oriental mustard showed excellent potential to control C. jejuni viability on raw chicken.