Treatment with lauric arginate ethyl ester and commercial bacteriophage, alone or in combination, inhibits Listeria monocytogenes in chicken breast tissue

•The Inhibitory effect of ListShield against L. monocytogenes on chicken breasts.•The Inhibitory effect of LAE against L. monocytogenes on chicken breasts.•The Inhibitory effect of LAE/ListShield against L. mono on chicken breasts.

The inhibitory effect of a commercial bacteriophage preparation (ListShield) on Listeria monocytogenes, alone or in combination with treatment with lauric arginate ethyl ester (LAE), was studied using artificially inoculated fresh chicken breast tissue. A mixture of three L. monocytogenes strains (ATCC 19113, ATCC 19115, and ATCC 13932) was inoculated in fresh chicken breast tissue at approximately 4.5 log CFU/g, followed by treatment with LAE (l00, 200, and 400 mg/kg) and/or phages. Tissues samples were analyzed after 5 min, followed by storage at 4 °C for 1, 2, and 3 days. Phage-treated samples showed a reduction of 0.81 log CFU/g, and samples treated with both phage and LAE during the storage period showed a reduction of 1.96 log CFU/g in cell density. The samples were evaluated for parameters such as pH, surface color, and 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content, and sensory analysis. No significant difference was observed in the surface color, pH, TBARS content, and sensory quality of the treated and control samples during the 3 days post treatment with phages and LAE (400 mg/kg). Thus, a commercial bacteriophage preparation can be very effective in reducing L. monocytogenes load in chicken fillets, either alone or in combination with LAE treatment.