The effects of the osmotic dehydration parameters on reduction of selected microorganisms on chicken meat

Abstract

Analysis of the influence of osmotic dehydration on reduction of selected microorganisms inoculated on dehydrating chicken meat, as a mean of assessing the microbiological safety of osmotic dehydration process, is conducted. Chicken meat cubes were inoculated with Esherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. and subjected to the osmotic dehydration process with varied parameters of: process duration, osmotic solutions concentration, and type of solution. Samples of osmodehydrated chicken meat were analyzed by standard and modified ISO methods. The results pointed that the increase in time and concentration have led to the higher microbiological reduction, while the osmotic dehydration performed in sugar beet molasses exerted the higher reduction ratios compared to the process in aqueous osmotic solution. Calculated mathematical models of reduction ratios for selected microorganisms on chicken meat were statistically significant, indicating on satisfactory approximation of reduction ratios values within the applied parameters. Mathematical models, calculated in this investigation, which describe the effects of osmotic dehydration on reduction of selected microorganisms on chicken meat, allow better understanding and managing of product safety during the process of osmodehydration. Practical applications