The Effect of Microwaves on the Survivability of Brucella Microorganisms in Infected Cattle Milk

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of microwave radiation on the viability of melitensis in contaminated cattle milk through establishing a correlation between milk volumes, microwave exposure time, measured Celsius temperature and viable counts of B. melitensis in inoculated milk. Microwave appliances were used in houses and many food stores in Egyptand worldwide, for warming milk that processed for human consumption. Microwave heating was performed using a household electronic microwave oven (Kenwood MW 579, a frequency of 2,450 MHz, and power of 900W). -free milk is inoculated with divided into 100 ml and 200 ml volumes and maintained at room temperature (22 °C ± 3°C) or refrigeration temperature (5 ºC ± 2 ºC) prior to microwave exposure. Microwave radiations with full power (P = 100) eliminate for 80 seconds with measured temperature reached (82 °C) and eliminated in 200 ml milk samples in 100 seconds with measured temperature of (78 °C). While in 100 ml refrigerated milk kept at (5 °C ± 2) that exposed to 30 % of the microwave`s power (P = 30) organisms still viable till 5 minutes and the organisms inactivated at 6 minutes with the measured temperature reached (75 °C). It was found that the warming program of the microwave either in 120 ml inoculated milk for 1 minute or 240 ml milk samples for 2 minutes, Brucella organisms are still viable at counts of (7.1 x 10 4 and 8.3 x 10 3 CFU/ml), respectively and considered as a potential source of human infection. In conclusion, the warming microwave program is proved to be unfit to eliminate