GROWTH OF LISTERIA-MONOCYTOGENES, AEROMONAS-HYDROPHILA AND YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA ON COLD-SMOKED SALMON UNDER REFRIGERATION AND MILD TEMPERATURE ABUSE

Strains of the cold-tolerant bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, Aeromonas hydrophila and Yersinia enterocolitica were inoculated onto samples of cold-smoked salmon and incubated at 5 and 10°C under both aerobic and vacuum-packaged conditions. Enumeration of these organisms was carried out over a time course and data were analysed to give values for the generation and lag times. L. monocytogenes grew under all of the conditions tested while A. hydrophila grew only at 10°C. Y. enterocolitica grew under all conditions tested except aerobic incubation at 5°C. The derived lag and generation times approximated those predicted by response surface models available as published programs or produced in this laboratory. Contrary to some literature data, it was concluded that L. monocytogenes is able to grow significantly on refrigerated vacuum-packaged cold-smoked salmon within the shelf-life of the product. © 1993 Academic Press Limited.