Cinnamon versus E. coli 0157:H7

Citation

(2000), "Cinnamon versus E. coli 0157:H7", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 30 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2000.01730bab.005

Cinnamon versus E. coli 0157:H7

Cinnamon versus E. coli 0157:H7

A study presented at the Institute of Food Technologists' 1999 Annual Meeting in Chicago revealed that cinnamon is a lethal weapon against E. coli 0157:H7 and may be able to help control the bacteria in unpasteurised juices. Lead researcher Erdogan Ceylan reported that in apple juice samples inoculated with about one million of these lethal bacteria and 0.3 per cent of cinnamon 99.5 per cent of the bacteria were killed in three days at room temperature (25° C). The number of bacteria added to the test samples was 100 times the number typically found in contaminated food. Dr Ceylan said that cinnamon may help protect consumers against foodborne bacteria that may be present in unpasteurised juices and may partially or completely replace preservatives in foods to maintain their safety. Additional work has shown that various spices have a similar antimicrobial effect in raw ground beef and sausages. Cinnamon, clove and garlic were the most powerful. However, in spite of these findings people who are at greater than normal risk for foodborne diseases, namely the elderly, young children or immune compromised, are urged to avoid unpasteurised juices or unthoroughly cooked meats such as hamburgers which may contain harmful micro-organisms.