Survival and Reduction of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in a Fresh Cold-Pressed Juice Treated with Antimicrobial Plant Extracts.

This study was conducted to evaluate the survival of 7 Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) in fresh cold-pressed juice and the antimicrobial efficacy of 4 essential oils (EO: achillea, rosemary, sage, and thyme). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of each EO was determined using microdilution assays evaluated at pH levels 4 and 7; as well as at 4 and 25 °C; daily for up to 5 d. Results indicated that 5 of 7 serotypes survived well in cold-pressed raw juice for at least 4 d at 4 °C and pH 3.