Teriyaki sauce with carvacrol or thymol effectively controls Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and indigenous flora in marinated beef and marinade

An effective bactericidal cold-marinating method for beef products is described, exploiting the synergism between soy sauce and natural compounds (carvacrol, CV or thymol, TM) to reduce microbiological risks. Beef slices inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium (3.1–3.5 log CFU/g) were marinated in a teriyaki sauce with or without CV and TM (0.3 and 0.5%). After 1, 3, and 7 days at 4 °C, indigenous microflora population, color, lipid oxidation, marinade uptake, and pH of marinated beef and leftover marinade samples were examined. Teriyaki sauce alone did not reduce or inhibit any of the target pathogens or indigenous bacteria, while 0.5% CV- or TM-containing teriyaki sauce inactivated all inocula without recovery within 7 days (p < 0.05). The pathogens relocated from the beef into the leftover marinade (3.0–3.4 log CFU/mL) were also completely inactivated. The treatment inhibited growth of indigenous aerobic bacteria (p < 0.05) and inactivated coliform bacteria. Physicochemical parameters were not significantly affected (p > 0.05).