Antimicrobial Effect of Garlic Against Foodborne Pathogens in Ground Mutton

Abstract

The antimicrobial effect of fresh garlic (20, 30, and 50 g/kg) and the equivalent concentrations of garlic oil (80, 120, and 200 mg/kg) was investigated in ground mutton during storage at 4 °C. . By day 6 and thereafter, mutton meatballs treated with 50 g/kg of fresh garlic and 200 mg/kg garlic oil exhibited a significant decline in psychrotrophic and Pseudomonas counts in comparison with control. Fresh garlic added at a concentration of 50 g/kg exhibited the highest antimicrobial effect, followed by garlic oil at 200 mg/kg, fresh garlic at 30 g/kg, and garlic oil at 120 mg/kg. By the 15th day of storage, the fresh garlic added at concentrations of 50 and 30 g/kg and garlic oil added at concentrations of 120, and 200 mg/kg revealed significant (P < 0.01) reductions in the counts of Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus artificially inoculated to ground mutton meat, by more than 3 logs CFU/g, in comparison to control. Therefore, fresh garlic and garlic oil can be used as natural antimicrobial food additives to extend the shelf life and inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens in meat products.

Keywords: Garlic, Mutton meatballs, Shelf life, Natural antimicrobials, Foodborne pathogens, Sensory attributes