Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium
Corn wet milling (CWM) and corn starch flash drying processing conditions reduce undesirable microorganisms, such as Salmonella. Finished products are historically safe, with intrinsic properties such as low water activity inhibiting microbial growth. Corn processors could use quantified levels of r...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Food Protection |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24002163 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841553904580427776 |
|---|---|
| author | Erin Kealey Madeline Shick Minho Kim Ruben Chavez Gordon Shetley David Stenger Kirk A. Perreau Allison Cooke Cecil Barnett-Neefs Matthew J. Stasiewicz |
| author_facet | Erin Kealey Madeline Shick Minho Kim Ruben Chavez Gordon Shetley David Stenger Kirk A. Perreau Allison Cooke Cecil Barnett-Neefs Matthew J. Stasiewicz |
| author_sort | Erin Kealey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Corn wet milling (CWM) and corn starch flash drying processing conditions reduce undesirable microorganisms, such as Salmonella. Finished products are historically safe, with intrinsic properties such as low water activity inhibiting microbial growth. Corn processors could use quantified levels of reduction in this study of Salmonella surrogate Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) to update their food safety plans. Industry-relevant conditions for CWM processes were recreated at pilot or lab scale for 3 unit operations: (1) steeping treatment in sulfur dioxide (SO2) with low (750 ppm SO2, 20 h, 43.3 °C), medium (1,500 ppm SO2, 30 h, 48.9 °C), and high (2,200 ppm SO2, 40 h, 53.3 °C) treatment conditions; (2) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment tested on bench scale with a factorial design (pH 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5), H2O2 concentrations (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15% (w/w)), and temperatures (32, 38, and 46 °C) for 3 and 6 h; (3) flash drying treatment at 4 different temperatures (149, 177, 204, and 232 °C) with 2 different inoculation methods. E. faecium was reduced during each of these unit operations. By the end of each steeping treatment, E. faecium was consistently below the limit of quantitation (LOQ), meaning >6.5 log CFU/mL reduction in steep water, and >3.7 log CFU/g reduction in ground corn. The peroxide step had a reduction range from 0.03 log CFU/mL in the control group (0% H2O2 added) to >6 log CFU/mL observed in the high-intensity treatment of corn starch slurry. Flash drying had a reduction range from 1.7 to 2.7 log CFU/g. There was also no biologically meaningful change (<1 log CFU/g reduction) of E. faecium counts during an 8-week survival study of the dried final product. This hurdle approach study shows that existing CWM conditions are effective for Salmonella surrogate reduction through processing into finished starch and provides quantified E. faecium reductions for use in food safety plans. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9209a5ab4bac4b2e8f8d25cb6b39d3dc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0362-028X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Food Protection |
| spelling | doaj-art-9209a5ab4bac4b2e8f8d25cb6b39d3dc2025-01-09T06:12:39ZengElsevierJournal of Food Protection0362-028X2025-01-01881100432Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faeciumErin Kealey0Madeline Shick1Minho Kim2Ruben Chavez3Gordon Shetley4David Stenger5Kirk A. Perreau6Allison Cooke7Cecil Barnett-Neefs8Matthew J. Stasiewicz9Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USAIngredion Incorporated, Westchester, IL 60154, USAADM, Decatur, IL 62526, USACargill Incorporated, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, USACorn Refiner’s Association, Washington DC, MD 20006, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Corresponding author at: 103 Agricultural Bioprocess Laboratory, 1302 W. Pennsylvania, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.Corn wet milling (CWM) and corn starch flash drying processing conditions reduce undesirable microorganisms, such as Salmonella. Finished products are historically safe, with intrinsic properties such as low water activity inhibiting microbial growth. Corn processors could use quantified levels of reduction in this study of Salmonella surrogate Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) to update their food safety plans. Industry-relevant conditions for CWM processes were recreated at pilot or lab scale for 3 unit operations: (1) steeping treatment in sulfur dioxide (SO2) with low (750 ppm SO2, 20 h, 43.3 °C), medium (1,500 ppm SO2, 30 h, 48.9 °C), and high (2,200 ppm SO2, 40 h, 53.3 °C) treatment conditions; (2) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment tested on bench scale with a factorial design (pH 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5), H2O2 concentrations (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15% (w/w)), and temperatures (32, 38, and 46 °C) for 3 and 6 h; (3) flash drying treatment at 4 different temperatures (149, 177, 204, and 232 °C) with 2 different inoculation methods. E. faecium was reduced during each of these unit operations. By the end of each steeping treatment, E. faecium was consistently below the limit of quantitation (LOQ), meaning >6.5 log CFU/mL reduction in steep water, and >3.7 log CFU/g reduction in ground corn. The peroxide step had a reduction range from 0.03 log CFU/mL in the control group (0% H2O2 added) to >6 log CFU/mL observed in the high-intensity treatment of corn starch slurry. Flash drying had a reduction range from 1.7 to 2.7 log CFU/g. There was also no biologically meaningful change (<1 log CFU/g reduction) of E. faecium counts during an 8-week survival study of the dried final product. This hurdle approach study shows that existing CWM conditions are effective for Salmonella surrogate reduction through processing into finished starch and provides quantified E. faecium reductions for use in food safety plans.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24002163Corn StarchHurdleHydrogen peroxideRing dryerSulfur dioxide |
| spellingShingle | Erin Kealey Madeline Shick Minho Kim Ruben Chavez Gordon Shetley David Stenger Kirk A. Perreau Allison Cooke Cecil Barnett-Neefs Matthew J. Stasiewicz Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium Journal of Food Protection Corn Starch Hurdle Hydrogen peroxide Ring dryer Sulfur dioxide |
| title | Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium |
| title_full | Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium |
| title_fullStr | Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium |
| title_short | Hurdle Approach to Simulate Corn Wet Milling Inactivation of Undesirable Microorganisms: A Pilot Scale Microbial Challenge Study Using Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus faecium |
| title_sort | hurdle approach to simulate corn wet milling inactivation of undesirable microorganisms a pilot scale microbial challenge study using salmonella surrogate enterococcus faecium |
| topic | Corn Starch Hurdle Hydrogen peroxide Ring dryer Sulfur dioxide |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24002163 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erinkealey hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT madelineshick hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT minhokim hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT rubenchavez hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT gordonshetley hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT davidstenger hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT kirkaperreau hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT allisoncooke hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT cecilbarnettneefs hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium AT matthewjstasiewicz hurdleapproachtosimulatecornwetmillinginactivationofundesirablemicroorganismsapilotscalemicrobialchallengestudyusingsalmonellasurrogateenterococcusfaecium |