Application of Encapsulated and Dry-plated Food Acidulants to Control Salmonella enterica in Raw Meat-based Diets for Dogs.

There is an increasing demand for raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) for dogs, but these foods cannot be heat-pasteurized. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of encapsulated and dry-plated glucono delta lactone (GDL), citric acid (CA), and lactic acid (LA) when challenged against Salmonella enterica inoculated in a model raw meat-based diet (RMBDs) for dogs. Nutritionally complete, raw diets were formulated with different levels (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% (w/w)) of both encapsulated and dry-plated GDL, CA, and LA with both the positive (PC) and the negative controls (NC) without acidulants. The diets were formed into patties of ∼100 g and inoculated with 3-cocktail mixtures of Salmonella enterica serovars, excluding the NC to achieve a final concentration of ∼6.0 Log CFU/patty. Microbial analyses were performed on the inoculated diets and survivors of S. enterica enumerated. Both encapsulated and dry-plated CA and LA had higher log reductions compared to GDL (P < 0.05). However, encapsulated CA and LA at 1.0% (w/w) exhibited higher log reductions (P > 0.05) and preserved product quality compared to the dry-plated acidulants at 1.0%. We concluded that 1.0% (w/w) of encapsulated citric or lactic acids could be successfully applied as an antimicrobial intervention in raw diets for dogs.