Effects of Weak Organic Acid Salts on Growth Kinetics of Spoilage-Associated Lactic Acid Bacteria in Cured Ready-to-Eat Turkey Breast

Weak organic acid (WOA) salts are primarily used in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat formulations for the control of Listeria monocytogenes , yet their quantitative effects on spoilage-associated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) remain insufficiently characterized. This study systematically quantified the growth dynamics of a mixed spoilage-associated LAB population ( Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Latilactobacillus sakei , Lactococcus lactis , and Enterococcus faecium ) inoculated at 3 log 10 CFU/g in a sliced, cured, deli-style turkey breast (pH 6.3, 75.0% moisture, 1.7% salt) during 42 days of storage at 4 °C. Treatments included 0.125% sodium diacetate (NaD), 0.125% sodium propionate (NaP), 2.5% sodium lactate (NaL), and all possible combinations, applied at concentrations consistent with commercial pathogen-control formulations. Lag phase duration and growth rate were estimated using a primary growth model. Treatments containing NaL (NaL, NaLD, NaLP, and NaLDP) significantly (P < 0.05) increased the estimated lag phase duration and reduced growth rates. In contrast, NaD, NaP, and the NaDP combination did not significantly alter LAB growth (P > 0.05). Maximum population densities were comparable across treatments. These results indicate that sodium lactate modulates spoilage-associated LAB growth kinetics rather than suppressing the final LAB populations, highlighting the distinction between preservatives selected for pathogen control and their effects on spoilage-associated LAB growth dynamics in RTE meat products.