The impact of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes preparation methods on high pressure processing efficacy in apple and orange juices.

Authors

Catherine A Felice, Nathan M Anderson, Darryl Glenn Black, Alvin Lee

Published in

Journal of food protection. Pages 100918. Sep 11, 2026. Epub Sep 11, 2026.

Abstract

The use of high pressure processing (HPP) to inactivate foodborne pathogens within fruit- and vegetable-based juices is well understood, however, less is known regarding HPP induced sublethal injury of bacterial cells and potential detection of stress-adapted bacterial cells during post-HPP cold storage. FDA Juice HACCP requires HPP-treated juice manufacturers to demonstrate a 5-log reduction of the pertinent microorganism and maintain the 5-log reduction throughout the product's shelf-life. A barotolerant, or tolerant of high pressure, and a barosensitive, easily damaged by high pressure, strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes were prepared in three growth conditions (neutral, cold-adapted, or acid-adapted) and used to evaluate HPP inactivation with increasing pressure levels (200 - 600 MPa) in two juice matrices (apple and orange). A 75-day shelf-life analysis was conducted on HPP-treated juices inoculated with acid-adapted, barotolerant strains for each pathogen and assessed for inactivation and detection. Acid-adapted cells provided the most conservative results for inactivation studies and E. coli O157:H7 was the most barotolerant of the three microorganisms. Under the conditions tested, a 5-log reduction of L. monocytogenes MAD328 was achieved immediately following pressure treatment, S. Cubana required 24 h, and E. coli O157:H7 TW14359 required 4 days of post-HPP cold storage to attain a 5-log reduction. Positive enrichments of L. monocytogenes in orange juice were observed during cold storage whilst maintaining the 5-log reduction. These results suggest, under the conditions tested, the preferred inoculum preparation for HPP validation studies is the use of acid-adapted, barotolerant strains. At 586 - 600 MPa (180 s, 4°C), a 5-log reduction was achieved during post-HPP cold storage, suggesting sufficient HPP lethality is reached at elevated pressure levels combined with a subsequent cold holding duration.

PMID:
42727922
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Sep 2026.

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