Determination of Nisin Concentration to Control in Cooked Ham.

contamination may occur after thermal processing of cooked ham. This study aimed to determine the effective nisin concentration to inhibit the growth of . Two batches of ham were prepared by adding 12.5 mg nisin/kg ham at brine injection (assay 1) or tumbling stage (assay 2). Another piece of cooked ham was prepared by adding 32 mg nisin/kg ham at brine injection (assay 3). Afterward, samples of cooked ham were contaminated with cocktail (4 log CFU/mL). The results of assays 1 and 2 revealed that this nisin concentration was ineffective in inhibiting in ham. The minimum bactericidal concentration test results indicated that each strain had a different sensitivity profile and the cocktail had greater resistance. High concentrations of nisin (32 mg/mL) were efficient in controlling the most resistant strains. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Tukey's test. This higher nisin concentration was effective in controlling the cocktail in cooked ham over 10 days. The findings highlight the potential of high nisin concentrations to effectively reduce contamination in cooked ham.