Thermal Inactivation Kinetics of Salmonella and Listeria in Ground Chicken Breast Meat and Liquid Medium

Thermal inactivation of Listeria innocua and 6 Salmonella serotypes in ground chicken breast meat was compared to that in peptone (0.1%) ‐ agar (0.1%) solution. Inoculated samples were packed in a thin‐wall metal tube and submerged in a water bath at temperatures ranging from 55.0 to 70.0 °C. For Salmonella and Listeria , the D values in ground chicken breast meat at 55 to 70 °C were higher (p < 0.0001) than those in peptone‐agar solution; however, the z values were not significantly different. Complete first‐order inactivation models, with Arrhenius temperature dependency, were developed for each inoculum and medium.