Data from: Combined effect of mechanical shear and moderate electric field on the inactivation of pathogenic bacteria in fresh orange juice

In response to the growing consumer demand for fresh-like products, the food and beverage industries are increasingly exploring innovative nonthermal technologies to effectively inactivate pathogenic bacteria while preserving product quality. Recently, we have examined the combined application of rotational shear stress and moderate electric fields (SS+MEF) to inactivate non-pathogenic microorganisms, including Escherichia coli K12 and Listeria innocua, under ambient temperature conditions. However, the effectiveness of SS+MEF treatments for inactivating pathogenic microorganisms in real food matrices remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the inactivation of the pathogenic microorganisms Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes in fresh orange juice with 5% pulp using simultaneous SS+MEF treatments under varying temperature conditions. Freshly squeezed orange juice samples were inoculated with bacteria and subjected to treatment using laboratory-scale batch shear-MEF device, and bacterial inactivation kinetics were analyzed through periodic sampling over a 30-minute treatment duration. A 5-log reduction in the pathogenic microorganism E. coli O157:H7 was achieved within 5 minutes of treatment at 45°C, while the same reduction was observed at 10 minutes for S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes at 55°C. The combined (SS+MEF) approach exhibited a significant advantage over conventional thermal pasteurization methods (70-80°C) for fruit and vegetable juices. These findings offer valuable insights for the food industry, which is increasingly seeking nonthermal alternatives for the effective inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms.