Inactivation of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 on black peppercorns in thermal treatments with controlled relative humidities.

Traditional method utilizes steam to pasteurize low-moisture ingredients like black peppercorns and almonds. Exposure to steam results in direct condensation on the product, unfavorable for a broader range of food ingredients such as dried herbs, fruits, and ground materials. Recent studies on the thermal inactivation of Salmonella in low-moisture foods suggest that the relative humidity in treatment chambers is an important factor, besides temperature, that determines the death rate of bacteria. Thus, thermal treatments with controlled high relative humidity can be an effective method to replace steam pasteurization. No condensation will occur when the products are preheated to above the dew-point temperature of the hot air in the treatment chamber, thus eliminating the need for post-treatment drying. To prove this concept, a special device was developed that preheated samples in a dry environment before exposing them to a controlled relative humidity (RH) at a high temperature. Using this device, the death rate of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 (S. Enteritidis) in black peppercorns was determined at 80 °C and three different RH levels (60, 70, or 80 %) after the innoculated samples were heated to 78oC. The results indicate that the treatments at 80 °C and 80 % RH for 3 min, 70 % RH for 9 min, and 60 % RH for 25 min caused 5.4 ± 0.2, 6.2 ± 0.6, and 6.1 ± 1.0 log reductions, respectively. No condensation was observed on all of the treated samples. The moisture content (wet basis) of fully pasteurized (5-log reduction) black peppercorns at 60, 70, and 80 %RH reduced from 9.7 ± 0.4 % (untreated) to 8.7 ± 0.5 %, 9.2 ± 0.4 %, and 9.2 ± 0.2 %, respectively, indicating that post-drying is not required after the treatments. This study demonstrated the potential of using short-time high-RH treatments to control pathogens in low-moisture foods without the need for post-treatment drying.

Pilot Study to Show the Feasibility of High-Resolution Sagittal Ultrasound Imaging of the Temporomandibular Joint.

PURPOSE: To show the feasibility of acquiring high-resolution sagittal ultrasound (US) images of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used commercially available US probes to assess the TMJ via a transoral soft tissue window to acquire sagittal images. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical correlation were compared with the US findings by the consensus assessment of 2 of the senior investigators. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 10 TMJs (6 participants) with an age range of 34 to 71 years and a male-female ratio of 3:1. The condyle and subcondylar surface were visible in 10 of 10 joints (100%), the disc in 7 of 10 joints (70%), and the pterygoid muscles in 6 of 10 joints (60%). In the 5 joints with magnetic resonance correlation, disc position and configuration were confirmed in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: We show the first sagittal transoral sonograms of the TMJ disc and associated joint components.