Fat content increases the lethality of ultra-high-pressure homogenization on Listeria monocytogenes in milk

Abstract 

Listeria monocytogenes CCUG 15526 was inoculated at a concentration of approximately 7.0log₁₀cfu/mL in milk samples with 0.3, 3.6, 10, and 15% fat contents. Milk samples with 0.3 and 3.6% fat content were also inoculated with a lower load of approximately 3.0log₁₀cfu/mL. Inoculated milk samples were subjected to a single cycle of ultra-high-pressure homogenization (UHPH) treatment at 200, 300, and 400MPa. Microbiological analyses were performed 2h after the UHPH treatments and after 5, 8, and 15 d of storage at 4°C. Maximum lethality values were observed in samples treated at 400MPa with 15 and 10% fat (7.95 and 7.46log₁₀cfu/mL), respectively. However, in skimmed and 3.6% fat milk samples, complete inactivation was not achieved and, during the subsequent 15 d of storage at 4°C, L. monocytogenes was able to recover and replicate until achieving initial counts. In milk samples with 10 and 15% fat, L. monocytogenes recovered to the level of initial counts only in the milk samples treated at 200MPa but not in the milk samples treated at 300 and 400MPa. When the load of L. monocytogenes was approximately 3.0log₁₀cfu/mL in milk samples with 0.3 and 3.6% fat, complete inactivation was not achieved and L. monocytogenes was able to recover and grow during the subsequent cold storage. Fat content increased the maximum temperature reached during UHPH treatment; this could have contributed to the lethal effect achieved, but the amount of fat of the milk had a stronger effect than the temperature on obtaining a higher death rate of L. monocytogenes.

Key words: Listeria monocytogenes, ultra-high-pressure homogenization, fat