Atmospheric cold plasma and peracetic acid-based hurdle intervention to reduce Salmonella on raw poultry meat

In Canada, Salmonella-related foodborne illness accounts for more than 88,000 cases annually. Poultry products represent one of the major vectors for the zoonotic transmission of Salmonella. The majority of the current disinfection strategies that are applied in the poultry industry involve the use of diverse chemical antimicrobial agents; however, knowledge about the efficacy of novel antimicrobial technologies such as atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) and the potential of hurdle interventions is very limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the synergetic effect of ACP and peracetic acid (PAA) as a hurdle antimicrobial intervention to reduce Salmonella enterica Typhimurium on raw poultry meat. Raw poultry meat samples were inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium followed by the application of different treatments consisting of ACP and PAA (100 and 200 ppm) alone as well as in combination. Different hurdle interventions using PAA and ACP treatments resulted in significant (P ≤ 0.05) reductions in Salmonella Typhimurium, ranging from 2.3 to 5.3 log CFU/cm², in comparison to PAA treatments alone with 100 or 200 ppm or ACP treatment alone, resulting in the reduction of Salmonella populations by 0.6, 1.3, and 2.3 CFU/cm², respectively. Treatments involving application of PAA followed immediately by ACP and ACP followed by PAA resulted in the highest (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in Salmonella by 4.7 and 5.3 log CFU/cm², respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images indicated that combined treatments resulted in destruction of Salmonella cells with visible cellular deformation and loss of cellular integrity. Color and moisture content of poultry meat samples were affected; thus, for largescale application, further research needs to be done for optimizing this hurdle intervention. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the synergistic effect of ACP and PAA and its potential application for the safety of poultry products. HIGHLIGHTS • Atmospheric cold plasma and peracetic acid-based hurdle approach for safety of poultry products was evaluated. • Study demonstrates a significant synergetic approach to reducing Salmonella on raw poultry. • Hurdle approach shows promising bacterial reduction but requires further optimization.