Inhibition of the growth of<i>staphylococcus aureus</i>in dry sausages by<i>lactobacillus curvatus</i>,<i>micrococcus varians</i>and debaryomyces hansenii

Abstract

Abstract The single and combined effects of the starter organisms Lactobacillus curvatus Lc2, Micrococcus varians M101 and Debaryomyces hansenii DH1 on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus SaC1507 were investigated in dry sausages. The sausages were prepared by adding to 1 kg of meat either 300 mg potassium nitrate and 28 g sodium chloride or 28 g of a nitrite‐curing salt containing 0.4% sodium nitrite. In sausages prepared with nitrate S. aureus grew to a maximum level of 4 × 107 cfu/g in the absence of any starter. Each single starter organism clearly exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus. A further decrease was observed with combination of two starters and the strongest inhibition occurred after combination of all three organisms. Similar effects of starters were noted in the presence of nitrite; however, the reduction of the maximum count of S. aureus was more pronounced in most cases. The kinetics of microbial growth could be attributed to changes in pH and nitrite concentration. The results show, that by application of suitable cultures, the risk of growth of S. aureus in dry sausage can be markedly reduced.