CONTROL OF BACILLUS CEREUS IN HIGH‐pH CRUMPETS

Abstract

Studies were performed to determine the effects of sorbic hydroxamic acid (SHA) and mastic oil–ethanol (ME) or water‐ethanol (WE) emitters on the growth of Bacillus cereus in high‐moisture, high‐pH (∼8.9) English‐style crumpets stored at ambient temperature (25C). While SHA (3000 p.p.m.), alone or in combination with ME emitters, was effective in inhibiting the growth of B. cereus for 14 days in high‐pH crumpets, only SHA formulated crumpets packaged in air had acceptable sensory scores at the end of storage. However, ME emitters alone were ineffective in controlling the growth of this pathogen. This lack of inhibition in crumpets was attributed to the poor absorption of mastic volatiles from the package headspace into the food matrix. Whatever the reason, these preliminary studies showed that SHA has the potential to control the growth of B. cereus in high‐moisture, high‐pH crumpets without compromising product quality.