Characterization of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and acid tolerance of foodborne pathogenic bacteria
Abstract
Foodborne pathogenic bacteria are subject to different stressful conditions due to process conditions, storage and composition of food. It is crucial to understand the survival characteristics of these bacteria to develop effective measures to limit or eliminate their survival in food. EDTA is a chelating agent and commonly used in food formulations for its function to prevent discoloration or flavor loss in food and to extend shelf life. Due to its common use in food industry, it is important to understand its antimicrobial function for possible interaction with other antimicrobials for elimination of foodborne pathogens. In this study, different foodborne pathogenic bacteria including two Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria were characterized for their survival and growth in the presence of EDTA (0.01 and 0.05%) and under acidic condition (pH 5.0). The presence of EDTA in the growth media caused Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to become more susceptible to subsequent stressful conditions compared to control (p<0.05). Gram-negative bacteria were more tolerant to acidic conditions as well as presence of EDTA compared to Gram-positive bacteria (p<0.05). This study provides insight on survival characteristics of foodborne pathogenic bacteria against selected stress conditions they are exposed in food and highlights the antimicrobial function of EDTA in food formulations.
Keywords
Stress response, Foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, EDTA, Acid tolerance
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