Abstract
Fresh meat is highly susceptible to food borne pathogens. Controlling these pathogenic microorganisms is important for maintaining food safety either by chemical or physical treatments. However, due to consumer preferences and health reasons there is demand for natural and better antimicrobial agents. There has been extensive work on natural alternative antimicrobial agents but the delivery of such agents to food systems is still a challenge. One alternative delivery system i.e., food grade nanoemulsions (NEs) as promising intervention. To explore this concept, various formulations of (NEs) with added clove oil concentrations ranging from 0.1-5% (w/w) were tested for controlling microbial load in fresh beef samples. Sterile raw meat samples were artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus followed by spraying clove oil NEs. The samples were stored at room temperature and later enumerated for bacterial load after 60 min of treatment. After treatment there were significant reduction in bacterial loads present in fresh meat samples (10 +/- 3 and 5 +/- 2 CFU of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus) respectively when compared with control (TNTC). The data suggested that clove oil NEs may be an effective strategy to control microbes in fresh beef.