Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has gained interest as a decontamination method for food for several years. This study investigated how UV-C affected the microbial load of pork, inoculated with Yersinia (Y.) enterocolitica and Brochothrix (B.) thermosphacta. The initial effect as well as the effect after 1, 7 and 14 days of storage were investigated. Additionally, the meat quality parameters color, pH value, myoglobin redox form percentages and antioxidant capacity were analyzed. During storage, the bacterial load on pork was significantly reduced up to 1.2 log10 using doses of 408 or 2040 mJ/cm2. In contrast to this, in vitro experiments with bacterial suspensions showed that calculated UV doses of 16.16 and 19.30 mJ/cm2 resulted in a 3.0 log10 reduction of Y. enterocolitica and B. thermosphacta, respectively. The analyzed meat quality parameters were not influenced by UV-C treatment. Hence, UV-C light can reduce microbial surface contamination without negatively affecting meat quality.
Keywords: Brochothrix thermosphacta; Meat quality; Pork; Ultraviolet irradiation; Yersinia enterocolitica.
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