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Abstract
Microbial safety in acidified foods often requires heat treatments, compromising sensory quality. This study investigated cold-fill-hold processing on pathogen inactivation in acidified mayonnaise. Objectives included evaluating survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica in five commercial mayonnaise variants at 15.5°C and two lab formulations with 5% acetic acid, with or without 0.1% sodium benzoate, stored at 5°C and 25°C. D- and z-values for each pathogen were calculated based on microbial reduction data to achieve >5 log reductions. E. coli O157:H7 was the most resistant pathogen, with the highest D-values. In lab samples, 0.1% sodium benzoate did not enhance pathogen inactivation compared to acetic acid alone, although a pH increase occurred in sodium benzoate samples. Temperature significantly influenced microbial reduction, with lower D-values at 25°C. Cold-fill-hold processing effectively reduced microbial loads, indicating its potential as a non-thermal method for improving food safety in acidified products.