Antimicrobial Effects of the Combination of Cranberry and Wild Blueberry Extracts on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria Monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus

Antimicrobial effects of the combination of cranberry and wild blueberry extracts on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus in Distilled Water (DW) and Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) were investigated. Results showed that pathogens were significantly inhibited. L. monocytogenes was the most sensitive pathogen to the DW treatment. The berry extract had stronger antimicrobial effects on E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium than on L. monocytogenes and S. aureus. For E. coli O157:H7, about a 7 log CFU/ml difference between the control and the treatments was observed on day 5 at 21ºC. S. Typhimurium was reduced to non-detectable level by the powder blend on day 5. Approximately 3 to 4 log CFU/ml reduction by the berry concentrate combination or the powder blend was observed for L. monocytogenes and S. aureus on day 5. The combination of berry extracts may be considered for application in the food industry