Marination using various ingredients has
been widely used to improve microbial safety and quality
of chicken products at retail markets. The objective
of this study was to investigate the effects of commercial
marinade seasoning and cultured sugar/vinegar blend
on Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella Typhimurium
populations during refrigerated storage. In addition,
their effects on the texture of precooked chicken breasts
during frozen and refrigerated storage was investigated.
Chicken breasts inoculated with 4.5 to 5.0 log cfu/g of
C. jejuni and Salmonella Typhimurium were treated
with 3% cultured sugar/vinegar blend with and without
0.6% polish rub seasoning containing 32% herb content.
Breasts were then vacuum-packaged and stored at
4 and 10°C. Survival and growth curves were fitted to
the Baranyi equation to determine survival and growth
kinetics of C. jejuni and Salmonella Typhimurium.
In addition, the vacuum-packaged precooked chicken
breasts with different marination treatments were subjected
to 3 freeze-thaw cycles and shear force was measured.
At 4°C, the populations of C. jejuni and Salmonella
Typhimurium decreased, regardless of treatment
group during storage. The greatest survival for C. jejuni
was observed in untreated chicken breasts. At 10°C,
the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium was completely
prevented in precooked chicken breasts treated with 3%
cultured sugar/vinegar blend, regardless of the presence
of 0.6% seasoning. The 3% cultured sugar/vinegar
blend also improved the tenderness of frozen chicken
breasts and refrigerated, ready-to-eat chicken breast.
Therefore, a natural blend of cultured sugar and vinegar
can be used as antimicrobial and texture-modifying
agents for poultry meat and poultry products.