Isolation of Pectinolytic Aeromonas hydrophila and Yersinia enterocolitica from Vacuum-Packaged Pork

Abstract

A survey was made of commercially available vacuum-packaged fresh pork held at 5 C for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Also, four vacuum-packaged leg roasts were stored for 21 days at 5 C then for 90 days at −18 C before sampling. Surface cores of meat were enriched in sorbitol bile broth 21 days at 5 C to enhance recovery of Yersinia enterocolitica on pectin agar. Of the 54 samples surveyed, 20% yielded highly pectinolytic colonies of Aeromonas hydrophila that were cytotoxic to Y1 and HeLa cells, 6% yielded Y. enterocolitica and 6% yielded Yersinia intermedia. Yersinia was recovered from both fresh and frozen samples. This is believed to be the first report of pectinolysis by A. hydrophila and recovery of cytotoxic A. hydrophila from vacuum-packaged pork.