Use of pulsed light to increase the safety of ready-to-eat cured meat products

Pulsed light (PL) was tested for its efficacy to reduce Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on the surface of two ready-to-eat (RTE) dry cured meat products (salchichón and loin). Maximum log reductions between 1.5 and 1.8 cfu/cm2 were obtained for both microorganisms when a fluence of 11.9 J/cm2 was applied. Slight and particular differences in the instrumental color parameters were observed due to the treatment in both products, although no changes in the sensory analysis were detected either immediately after treatment or during 30 days storage in salchichón. Panelists perceived some changes in the sensory quality of loin immediately after treatment, but these differences disappeared along storage. PL could be considered a useful alternative to other non-thermal techniques for increasing the safety of RTE dry cured meat products.

► The efficacy of pulsed light for decontamination of RTE dry cured meats was tested. ► Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium were inactivated by pulsed light. ► Reductions of 1.5–1.8 log cfu/cm2 were obtained in salchichón and loin at 11.9 J/cm2. ► Sensory properties of treated products along storage were similar to untreated ones.