Survival of Campylobacter jejuni in Turkish fermented sausage

Abstract

The survival characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni were determined in Turkish fermented sausages. Sausage samples were prepared from ground red meat artificially contaminated with 10(5) cfu per gram Campylobacter jejuni. Presence and counts of this organism were determined during ripening at 20 degreesC. The count of C. jejuni was 4.2 x 10(5) cfu/g in the beginning of ripening. It then decreased to 3.7 x 10(1) cfu/g on day 2 and to uncountable level (< 10 cfu/g) on day 3. This organism was not detected on day 4, when pH value of the sausage samples was 5.25. The result of this study showed that C. jejuni was inactivated readily during ripening of Turkish fermented sausages.