Oscillatory high pressure processing applied to mechanically recovered poultry meat for bacterial inactivation

The effect of oscillatory high pressure processing on mesophile and psychrotroph populations of mechanically recovered poultry meat (MRPM) was evaluated. Vacuum-packaged samples were subjected to cycles by alternating moderate pressure (60 MPa) and high pressure (450 MPa) at 20 °C, once or several times so that the total time under high pressure was 15 min. A continuous treatment at 450 MPa for 15 min at 20 °C was also performed. Oscillatory treatments did not generate significantly higher decreases in counts of both populations than continuous pressurization. Reductions from 3.2 to 3.8 log CFU g-1 were found for mesophiles. Psychrotrophs proved more sensitive: one of the cyclic treatments induced a lethality of 5.2 log CFU g-1. Pressurization improves the microbiological quality of MRPM.