Growth inhibition of foodborne pathogens in camel milk: Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7

Abstract

The growth behaviour of foodborne pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.) was investigated in pasteurised camel milk and compared with pasteurised bovine milk at different incubation temperatures. This study also aimed to compare the growth patterns of these four foodborne pathogens in pasteurised and raw camel milk. Pasteurised or raw camel milk and pasteurised bovine milk were separately inoculated with a cocktail of three strains of each foodborne pathogen. The inoculated milk samples were incubated at 10, 25, and 37°C. The total bacterial count (TBC) in raw milk and the total thermoduric bacteria count (TDB) in pasteurised milk samples were monitored. Greater growth inhibition rates of four pathogens were obtained for the pasteurised camel milk compared to the pasteurised bovine milk. Raw and pasteurised camel milk exerted bacteriostatic effect against all tested pathogens, particularly for the first 8 h of incubation in milk at the different temperatures. Pasteurised camel milk exerted an inhibitory activity that was equivalent to that of raw camel milk.