Evaluation of Salmonella Growth at Low Concentrations of NaNO2 and NaCl in Processed Meat Products Using Probabilistic Model

This study developed probabilistic models to predict Salmonella growth in processed meat products formulated with varying concentrations of NaCl and $NaNO_2$. A five-strain mixture of Salmonella was inoculated in nutrient broth supplemented with NaCl (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.25%, and 1.75%) and $NaNO_2$ (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, and 120 ppm). The inoculated samples were then incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at $4^{\circ}C$, $7^{\circ}C$, $10^{\circ}C$, $12^{\circ}C$, and $15^{\circ}C$ for up to 60 days. Growth (assigned the value of 1) or no growth (assigned the value of 0) for each combination was evaluated by turbidity. These growth response data were analyzed with a logistic regression to evaluate the effect of NaCl and $NaNO_2$ on Salmonella growth. The results from the developed model were compared to the observed data obtained from the frankfurters to evaluate the performance of the model. Results from the developed model showed that a single application of $NaNO_2$ at low concentrations did not inhibit Salmonella growth, whereas NaCl significantly (p<0.05) inhibited Salmonella growth at $10^{\circ}C$, $12^{\circ}C$, and $15^{\circ}C$, regardless of the presence of oxygen. At $4^{\circ}C$ and $7^{\circ}C$, Salmonella growth was not observed in either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. When $NaNO_2$ was combined with NaCl, the probability of Salmonella growth decreased. The validation value confirmed that the performance of the developed model was appropriate. This study indicates that the developed probabilistic models should be useful for describing the combinational effect of $NaNO_2$ and NaCl on inhibiting Salmonella growth in processed meat products.