Application of neutral electrolyzed water enhanced with organic acids as an antibacterial activity for chicken breast preservation

The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of neutral electrolyzed water, alone or combined with acetic acid and lactic acid, in reducing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis in chicken breast. The research involved evaluating quality parameters, physical and chemical properties, bacterial count, and sensory characteristics of chicken breast samples over 0, 1, 3, 6, and 9 days. The findings showed that neutral electrolyzed water had better antibacterial activity than distilled water. The inclusion of acetic and lactic acids amplified the inhibitory effect of neutral electrolyzed water, with the most substantial impact on the growth of the target bacteria observed when both acids were utilized together. The treatments had a more pronounced effect on the gram-negative bacteria S. enteritidis (2.85 ± 2.8 log CFU/g) compared to the gram-positive bacteria L. monocytogenes (2.9 ± 1.6 log CFU/g). The physicochemical quality and microbial analysis (e.g., TVB-N, pH, PV, PTC, TVC, and TBA) of chicken samples showed significant changes in samples containing L. monocytogenes compared to samples containing S. enteritidis bacteria. The study concluded that combining neutral electrolyzed water with organic acids (NEW + AA-2 + LA-2) is a promising approach to extend the shelf life of chicken samples due to competitive production costs, safe transportation, low corrosion capacity, and low toxicity.