Short communicationInactivation of Staphylococcus saprophyticus in chicken meat and purge using thermal processing, high pressure processing, gamma radiation, and ultraviolet light (254Â nm)

- The TP D10 of S. saprophyticus was 6.26, 0.60 and 0.09 min at 55, 60 and 65 °C, respectively.
- The HPP D10 of S. saprophyticus was 15.5, 9.43, and 3.54 min, at 200, 300, and 400 MPa, respectively.
- The GR D10 of S. saprophyticus was 0.64 and 0.77 kGy at 4 and -20 °C, respectively.
- The UV-C D10 of S. saprophyticus in purge ranged from 14.9 to 18.5 mJ/cm2.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a common contaminant in meat and poultry, and causes urinary tract infections after colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, followed by accidental transfer of contaminated feces to the urethra. There is limited information regarding the inactivation kinetics of S. saprophyticus in meat and poultry. When S. saprophyticus was suspended in ground chicken meat (GCM) the thermal processing D10 was 6.26, 0.60 and 0.09 min at 55, 60 and 65 °C, respectively. When S. saprophyticus was inoculated into GCM and subjected to high pressure processing (5 °C, 0-25 min) at 200, 300 or 400 MPa the HPP D10 was 15.5, 9.43, and 3.54 min, respectively. When the S. saprophyticus cocktail was inoculated into GCM and irradiated (5 and −20 °C) the gamma radiation D10 were 0.64 and 0.77 kGy, respectively. When S. saprophyticus was inoculated into chicken purge which was then placed on food contact surfaces including stainless steel, and high density polyethylene and polypropylene and treated with UV-C (0-60 mJ/cm2) the UV-C D10 ranged from 14.9 to 18.5 mJ/cm2. These results indicate the inactivation kinetics for S. saprophyticus are consistent with those for other foodborne pathogens and could be controlled in poultry meat and purge without difficulty.