Heat injury and recovery ofStreptococcus faeciumassociated with the souring of chub-packed luncheon meat

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Abstract
The presence of NaCl in the heating medium provided some protection from lethal heat damage for cells of a S. faecium strain isolated from luncheon meat whereas the presence of NaNO2 alone or in addition to NaCl, had no significant effect on cell survival. Subsequent recovery and growth of heat-damaged cells was retarded by the presence of NaCl. When NaNO2 was present, in addition to NaCl, the inhibitory effect of the latter was reduced. These principal components of the luncheon-meat-cure are apparently opposed in their activities on post-heating recovery and growth of S. faecium. Product stability, i.e., duration of the lag before growth occurs, is directly related to the severity of the heat treatment and to the concentration of NaCl in the product. Therefore, the resistance of pasteurized chub-packed luncheon meat to streptococcal spoilage during storage at temperatures conducive to microbial growth results from a prolonged heat-induced salt-maintained pre-growth adjustment phase, rather than to any inherent inhibitory property of the luncheon meat to the growth of non-heat-damaged S. faecium cells.