Antimicrobial effect of garlic against foodborne pathogens in ground mutton.

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 inactivated the populations of foodborne pathogens artificially inoculated into ground mutton and exhibited significant (P < 0.01) lower counts in Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus 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 inactivate the populations of foodborne pathogens in meat products.