| Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of human foodborne illness in the United States and is found mostly in poultry and poultry products. Therefore, contamination attributed to Campylobacter has been a major concern among government regulatory agencies and the food industry. Predictive models aid in microbial risk assessment by determining the behavior of microorganisms as a function of various parameters. However, no predictive models have been developed to determine the survival of Campylobacter jejuni in broth or on a food matrix in the United States. Thus, the objectives of this study were (i) to investigate the effect of temperature on the survival of C. jejuni on cooked chicken patties and in broth, (ii) to determine the effect of the presence of Salmonella typhimurium on the survival of C. jejuni at specific temperatures and (iii) to develop a primary survival model for C. jejuni as a function of time. Subsequent to preparation of model mediums and inoculation, samples were diluted and enumerated by spiral plating. Although C. jejuni survived well at all tested temperatures, the specific death rate increased during storage at ambient temperatures, while lag times increased during storage at refrigeration temperatures. There was no significant difference between the specific death rate and lag time duration of C. jejuni in broth or on chicken patties and no significant differences exist between C. jejuni with and without S. typhimurium at all tested temperatures. In conclusion, results suggest that C. jejuni poses a threat in poultry meat stored in refrigeration temperatures especially. |
