High-Pressure Inactivation of Histamine-Forming Bacteria Morganella morganiiand Photobacterium phosphoreum

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on histamine-forming bacteria (HFB) Morganella morganiiand Photobacterium phosphoreumin phosphate buffer and tuna meat slurry were investigated using viability counting and scanning electron microscopy. The first-order model fits the destruction kinetics of high pressure on M. morganiiand P. phosphoreumduring the pressure hold period. The D-values of M. morganii(200 to 600 MPa) and P. phosphoreum(100 to 400 MPa) in phosphate buffer ranged from 16.4 to 0.08 min and 26.4 to 0.19 min, respectively, whereas those in tuna meat slurry ranged from 51.0 to 0.09 min and 71.6 to 0.19 min, respectively. M. morganiihad higher D-values than P. phosphoreumat the same pressure, indicating it was more resistant to HHP treatment. HFB had a higher D-value in tuna meat slurry compared with that in phosphate buffer, indicating that the HFB were more resistant to pressure in tuna meat slurry. The Zp values (pressure range that results in a 10-fold change in D-value) of M. morganiiand P. phosphoreumwere 162 and 140 MPa in phosphate buffer and 153 and 105 MPa in tuna meat slurry, respectively. Damage to the cell wall and cell membrane by HHP treatments can be observed by scanning electron microscopy. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that HHP can be applied to inactivate the HFB M. morganiiand P. phosphoreumby inducing morphological changes in the cells.