Thermal death time of Salmonella Typhimurium in oyster meat: establishment and application in a heat-treated ceviche recipe

The absence of heating processes in the preparation of oyster ceviche makes the dish a potential cause of foodborne illnesses. Hence, this study was conducted to establish the thermal death time at 60°C (D_60°C) of the pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium in oyster meat so that it may be applied in the preparation of a heat-treated oyster ceviche recipe. The established D_60°C was used to calculate a heating protocol capable of deactivating 99.999% of the pathogen. Results showed that the heat treatment significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the microbial populations in the oyster meats. Penetrometer and colorimeter measurements of the softness and color characteristics revealed that the heating process significantly influenced these characteristics. However, sensory analyses showed that test panelists did not detect significant differences between the color and texture of control and treatment oyster meats. Only some specific descriptors related to oyster appearance and aroma were given significantly different sensory evaluation scores.