Optimization of UV-C Processing of Donkey Milk: An Alternative to Pasteurization?

• Main Authors: Photis Papademas, Panagiotis Mousikos, Maria Aspri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: donkey milk; UV-C technology; non-thermal methods; microbial inactivation; milk pathogens
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/1/42

The effect of UV-C light technology on the inactivation of six foodborne pathogens inoculated in raw donkey milk was evaluated. Fresh raw donkey milk was artificially inoculated with the following foodborne pathogens—<i>L. inoccua</i> (NCTC 11288), <i>S. aureus</i> (NCTC 6571), <i>B. cereus</i> (NCTC 7464), <i>Cronobacter sakazakii</i> (NCTC 11467), <i>E. coli</i> (NCTC 9001), <i>Salmonella enteritidis</i> (NCTC 6676)—and then treated with UV-C doses of up to 1300 J/L. <i>L. innocua</i> was the most UV-C-resistant of the bacteria tested, requiring 1100 J/L for complete inactivation, while the rest of the bacteria tested was destructed in the range of 200–600 J/L. Results obtained from this study indicate that UV-C light technology has the potential to be used as a non-thermal processing method for the reduction of spoilage bacteria and foodborne pathogens that can be present in raw donkey milk.