Death and injury of cold treatment on E. coli suspended in eel bouillion of different water activity were tested. Sodium chloride was used to adjust the a(subscript w). Death of E. coli in salted eel bouillion exposed to -20 and -78℃ ranged from 76.06 to 99.42%. The differences in death between a(subscript w)=0.98 and 0.96 exposed to -20℃ were highly significant (p<0.01) when cooled for both 30 and 90 min. But these differences were not significant for exposure to -78℃. Eel bouillion of low water activity (e. g., 0.91) could protect E. coli from death to some extent upon exposure to subzero temperature without freezing. Injury of E. coli in eel bouillion under the cold treatment was higher than 98.28%. Sodium chloride could inhibit the cell to repair during and after thawing of its culturing medium.
Death and injury of cold treatment on E. coli suspended in eel bouillion of different water activity were tested. Sodium chloride was used to adjust the a(subscript w). Death of E. coli in salted eel bouillion exposed to -20 and -78℃ ranged from 76.06 to 99.42%. The differences in death between a(subscript w)=0.98 and 0.96 exposed to -20℃ were highly significant (p<0.01) when cooled for both 30 and 90 min. But these differences were not significant for exposure to -78℃. Eel bouillion of low water activity (e. g., 0.91) could protect E. coli from death to some extent upon exposure to subzero temperature without freezing. Injury of E. coli in eel bouillion under the cold treatment was higher than 98.28%. Sodium chloride could inhibit the cell to repair during and after thawing of its culturing medium.