Growth/no-growth boundary of superdormant Clostridium perfringens spores under synergic treatment of heat and hydrostatic pressure: Modeling and evaluation

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens spores exhibit substantial resistance to conventional sterilization methods, posing a significant food safety challenge due to potential toxin production. Although heat and hydrostatic pressure treatments can effectively inactivate most spores, superdormant (SD) spores often persist. This study investigated the effects of common additives, including sodium chloride (NaCl, 0–4 %), acetic acid (CH₃COOH, 0–0.16 %), and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC, 0–0.04 %) on the germination and outgrowth of SD spores, using dormant (D) spores as a control. Logistic regression was used to develop growth/no-growth boundary models for both spore types. The results demonstrated that increasing NaCl, CH₃COOH, and AITC concentrations significantly inhibited the growth of both D and SD spores (p < 0.05). Notably, SD spores exhibited heightened sensitivity and were inhibited at lower concentrations than D spores. The antimicrobial effects of NaCl, CH₃COOH, and AITC on spore growth in chicken meat were experimentally validated and compared with model predictions. While minor discrepancies were observed due to variations in the growth medium, the experimental results generally agreed strongly with the model's predictions. These growth/no-growth boundary models quantitatively assess the inhibitory effects of NaCl, CH₃COOH, and AITC on SD spores under synergic treatment of heat and hydrostatic pressure, providing a critical foundation for optimizing antimicrobial strategies to improve food safety in cooked meat products.