The effects of Satureja hortensis L. essential oil on the growth and survival of Salmonella Typhimorium in minced poultry meat during refrigerated storage

Background: Food products and in particular meat are regarded as one of the main sources of Salmonella genus bacteria; accordingly, researchers’ attention has recently been drawn to the use of natural preservatives to increase shelf-life and eliminate foodrelated diseases. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Satureja hortensis L. (Summer savory plant) essential oil on the growth of Salmonella typhimorium in poultry meat. Methods: In the present study, the effects of different concentrations of Summer savory essential oil (0, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 400 ppm, and 800ppm)alone and with 1% sodium chlorideon the growth and survival of Salmonella typhimorium in refrigerated minced poultry meat were assessed on days zero, three, five and seven. Results: Summer savory essential oil significantly reduced Salmonella count compared to control group (P 0.05). Savory significantly reduced Salmonella count as the storage days of minced meat increased (P 0.05). However, this effect on Salmonella count in the presence of 1% sodium chloride did not significantly intensify (P 0.05). Conclusions: The results showed that Summer savory essential oil has antimicrobial properties, and it can be used as a natural preservative for increasing shelf-life of meat and meat products.