Liquid smoke flavouring against Listeria on cold-smoked salmon
What it found
Coating cold-smoked salmon with refined liquid smoke reduced Listeria innocua by 2 log by day 14 and stopped growth for up to 35 days in the fridge.
In lab tests, most liquid smokes strongly inhibited the bacteria.
What they found
Studies in people
Sensory quality
A difference sensory test with 180 untrained panelists showed that applying AM-3 did not significantly influence the overall sensorial quality of cold-smoked salmon.
Animal and lab studies
Lab inhibition
In lab tests, all liquid smokes except 1291 strongly inhibited Listeria innocua.
Salmon reduction
On cold-smoked salmon, the liquid smokes did not completely eliminate L. innocua but gave a 2-log reduction by day 14.
No growth
There was no growth of L. innocua up to 35 days of refrigerated storage.
What the authors conclude
“In essence, the application of the refined LS as an antilisterial additive to CSS is recommended.”
Also in their conclusions
- They recommend the application of the refined liquid smoke as an antilisterial additive to cold-smoked salmon.
How it was done
Cold-smoked salmon is a ready-to-eat food with a high risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination and no step that kills the bacteria.
They tested a full-strength liquid smoke and three refined fractions against Listeria innocua in lab assays. They coated cold-smoked salmon strips with two refined liquid smokes at 1% (vol/wt), inoculated them with L. innocua at 3.5 log CFU/g, vacuum packed them, and stored them at 4°C. A sensory test with 180 untrained panelists checked the overall quality.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The study used Listeria innocua as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes, so it cannot show how the liquid smoke affects L. monocytogenes itself.
- The sensory test only checked overall quality with untrained panelists and did not measure other possible effects.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
The paper
- Title
- Refined liquid smoke: a potential antilisterial additive to cold-smoked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Montazeri N, Himelbloom BH, Oliveira AC, Leigh MB, Crapo CA (2013). Refined liquid smoke: a potential antilisterial additive to cold-smoked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Journal of food protection. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-12-368PubMed 23643122DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error