Salmonella enteritidis and aerobic mesophiles in inoculated poultry sausages manufactured with high-pressure processing

Salmonella enteritidis-inoculated poultry sausages were pressurized at 500 MPa by combining different times (10 and 30min) and temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C) or heat treated with the same temperature-time combinations and a standard cooking (75 °C for 30 min). Counts of Salm. enteritidis and mesophilic bacteria were determined. Most pressure treatments generated statistically higher reductions than the corresponding heat treatments alone. Lethalities of about 7.5 and 6.5 log cfu g-1 for Salm. enteritidis and mesophiles, respectively, were found in pressurized sausages. There was no significant difference in counts between pressurization at 60 °C for 30 min or at 70 °C and the standard cooking. High-pressure processing is a suitable alternative method in poultry sausage manufacture.