Poultry meats are highly perishable due to bacterial contamination; thus, elimination
of bacterial contaminants is a challenge for food safety industry. This study
was designed to evaluate the bacterial counts and oxidative properties of chicken
breast contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) exposed to gaseous
ozone during refrigerated storage. Slices of chicken breast were inoculated with ST
by immersing them in peptone water containing 1.0 × 107 cfu of ST per milliliter
peptone water. Samples were placed in a container with normal air (no ozone) or
in a container equipped with an ozone generator that produce a continuous flux
of ozone (10 × 10−6 kg O3/m3/h) and negative ions. Gaseous ozone exposure significantly
reduced ST and the total aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts during
storage compared with the nontreatment group (P < 0.05). Gaseous ozone exposure
significantly reduced CIE L* and increased CIE b* surface color values after 3
and 2 days of storage, respectively (P < 0.05). Gaseous ozone exposure significantly
inhibited catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity after 3 days
(P < 0.05). A higher TBARS (2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) value
(P < 0.05) was found in chicken breast subjected to ozone exposure after 3 days of
storage. In conclusion, gaseous ozone exposure reduced the bacterial counts in
chicken breast from the beginning of the study and affected the oxidative properties
on the last day of the study.