Effect of lemon juice on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli in cig kofte (raw meatball)

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of lemon juice on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli in cig kofte (raw meatball).Design methodology approach - Cig kofte samples were inoculated one by one with both bacteria at high inoculum levels and were treated with different doses of fresh lemon juice (2, 5, 10 and 15 ml) for 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1, 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes.Findings - Treatments of lemon juice for different exposure times caused reduction ranging between 0.1 and 1.7 log CFU g for Salmonella Enteritidis and 0.1 and 2.1 log CFU g for E.coli. Results showed that lemon juice caused slight decrease in Salmonella Enteritidis and E.coli as an immediate inhibitor, but this effect increased with concentration and time.Originality value - This is a research study to provide information on the effectiveness of lemon juice which is squeezed generally before eating cig kofte, on the presence of the surface flora to strengthen the hygienic quality of the product. Inactivation effect of lemon juice on Salmonella Enteritidis and E.coli may give a practical and easy way of providing food safety for cig kofte.