Microbiological quality of chicken breast meat after application of thyme and caraway essential oils

<p>The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of selected types of antimicrobial essential oils to the various groups of microorganisms during storage of chicken meat. The samples of chicken breast meat were used in the experiment. The number of lactobacilli, <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp., anaerobic plate count and <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em> after application of caraway and thyme essential oils (EO) at concentration 1% v/w in a combination with the ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) solution 1.5% w/w and vacuum packaging were evaluated. The samples were analyzed at 0, 4^th, 8^th, 12^th and 16^th day of storage of chicken meat at temperature 4 &deg;C. Another aim was to determine the species of isolated microorganisms from samples of chicken meat by MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry). The number of <em>Lactobalillus</em> spp. ranged from 1.35 log CFU.g^-1 in all groups to 3.04 log CFU.g^-1 on 0^th day to 3.04 log CFU.g^-1 on 4^th day in control group stored in air. The <em>Pseudomonas </em>spp. was not found in all tested samples at the start of the experiment, the highest number of <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp. was in the control group on 16^th day (2.68 log CFU.g^-1). Presence of <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp. were not found during storage in groups after treatment with caraway and thyme EO. The values of anaerobic plate count ranged from 2.81 log CFU.g^-1 on 4^th day in control group with vacuum packaging to 5.19 log CFU.g^-1 on 16^th day in control group in air condition. The <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em> was not found in all tested samples on 0^th day and ranged to 4.46 log CFU.g^-1 on 12^th day in control group in air condition. From Lactobacillus spp., the most often identified species was <em>Lactobacillus paracasei, </em>from genus <em>Pseudomonas,<strong> </strong></em>there were identified <em>Pseudomonas fluorescens </em>in two cases. From anaerobic plate count, there were isolated <em>Staphylococcus warneri</em> from control goup stored in air condition, <em>Kocuria rhizophila</em> from control group with vacuum packaging, <em>Staphylococcus warneri, Aeromonas salmonicida </em>and<em> Aeromonas popoffii </em>from control group treated with EDTA, <em>Staphylococcus hominis </em>and <em>Staphylococcus epidermidis</em> from group treated with caraway essential oil.&nbsp; From <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>, the most bacteria were isolated from control group in air condition and from control group treated with EDTA.</p> <!--[endif] -->