Fermented sour wort enriched with Pediococcus acidilactici PA-2 as a natural marinade to reduce Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium in raw chicken

Raw chicken, valued for its affordability and nutritional benefits, remains vulnerable to contamination by meat-borne pathogens despite advances in food safety systems. Biopreservation using lactic acid bacteria, particularly pediocin-producing Pediococcus acidilactici, offers a natural strategy to inhibit foodborne pathogens through the production of lactic acid and bacteriocin. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of sour wort fermented with P. acidilactici PA-2 as a natural marinade against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium in raw chicken. Sour wort was prepared and fermented with P. acidilactici PA-2 at 30°C for 24 h and 48 h, reaching final cell counts of 8.0 and 8.5 log10 CFU/g, respectively, and pH values between 3.8 and 4.5. Raw chicken samples were inoculated with approximately 6.9 log10 CFU/mL of L. monocytogenes and 6.4 log10 CFU/mL of S. typhimurium, marinated with 24-h and 48-h fermented wort (Ringer’s solution as control), and stored at 4°C for 16 h. On selective media, pathogen populations were enumerated. Both 24-h and 48-h fer-mented wort marinades significantly reduced L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium counts compared with the control (p < 0.05). The 48-h fermented wort reduced L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium counts by 1.9 and 1.8 log10 CFU/g, respectively, while the 24-h wort produced similar reductions of 1.7 and 1.8 log10 CFU/g. No significant differences were observed between the two fermentation times (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that P. acidilactici PA-2 fermented sour wort can serve as an effective clean-label marinade that enhances the micro-biological safety of raw chicken during short-term refrigerated storage, contributing to reduced foodborne risk without relying on chemical preservatives.