Aims : The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of free fatty acid length chain and unsaturated bond number on the heat resistance and recovery media of bacterial spores. Methods and results : For 6 species, bacterial spore heat resistances were estimated at different free fatty acid concentrations added to heating media or in recovery media. The addition of free fatty acids to heating media has a slight influence on the heat resistance of bacterial spores whatever the species or type of acid studied. On the contrary, the addition of free fatty acids to the recovery medium after the heat treatment greatly reduces the ability to bacterial spores to recover and form colonies. This effect varies depending on chain length, unsaturated bond number of fatty acid and on the bacterial strain studied. Conclusion : The presence of free acids in the recovery media is an additive stress which decreases the capability of injured spores to germinate and grow thereafter. Significance and impact of this study : The impact of free fatty acids presented in this study can be taken into account to reduce the thermal intensity of food sterilization in relation to their availability in food matrix.
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