Listeria Interventions for Country Hams
University of Kentucky
Drs. William Benjy Mikel and Melissa Newman
To assess whether steam and nisin provide an effective treatment of country cured ham slices to control Listeria monocytogenes. Liquid smoke was used as one of the treatment agents in this study to compare with steam and nisin.
Steam and 2 micrograms of nisin produced a 1.5 log greater reduction of Listeria in ham slices than did treatment with liquid smoke. The application of steam and 20 micrograms of nisin on country cured hams resulted in a 6 log reduction when evaluated at 7 days post treatment. These data indicate that steam and 20 micrograms of nisin, when used in combination, can act as an effective intervention method for country-cured ham center slices.
Small and very small plant processors may use steam and nisin treatment to control and reduce Listeria in country cured ham products. These parameters are easy and cost effective and thus should be of particular value to small and very small plants that make country cured hams. Plants will, however, need to validate that their methodology achieves these parameters. This research should decrease their operating cost while helping them to ensure food safety and public health protection.
The full report on this research can be found on the Fiscal Year 2003 table under the column Food Safety Technologies - Additional Information.