This study evaluated the antimicrobial effects of meat processing-related organic acids on Burkholderia thailandensis (Burkholderia pseudomallei surrogate) with different water activities. B. thailandensis KACC12027 (4 log CFU/mL) was inoculated in microwell plates containing tryptic soy broth pH-adjusted to 4, 5, 6, and 7 with ascorbic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid and with water activities adjusted to 0.94, 0.96, 0.98, and 1.0 with NaCl, followed by incubation at 35 o C for 30 h. The

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... cal density (OD) of the samples was measured at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 30 h at 595 nm to estimate the growth of B. thailandensis. Growth of B. thailandensis was observed only at water activity of 1.0. In general, more bacterial growth (p<0.05) was observed at pH 6 than at pH 7, and the antimicrobial effects of the organic acids on B. thailandensis were in the following order: Ascorbic acid > lactic acid > citric acid after incubation at 35 o C for 30 h. These results indicate that organic acids in meat processing-related formulations should be useful in decreasing the risk related to an emerging high risk agent (B. pseudomallei).