POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF MICROBIAL ANTAGONISM TO EXTENDED STORAGE STABILITY OF A FLESH TYPE FOOD

The shelf life of both refrigerated ground and mechanically deboned poultry meat was extended by 2 days using the resting cells of the starter cultures Pediococcus cerevisiae (Accel) and Lactobacillus plantarum (Lactacel DS). The microbial population of the treated sample was 10% of that of the control at the onset of “off‐odor” in the control. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) did not decrease the pH of the meat. Fluorescent psychrotrophic colonies were not detected in the treated samples, but were present in the control. P. cerevisiae in Buffered Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BBHI) inhibited Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putrefaciens more than Pseudomonas fragi. L. plantarum in BBHI inhibited the growth of P. fluorescens and P. fragi and caused P putrefaciens to lose its ability to form colonies on Tryptic Soy Agar. The meat starter cultures in BBHI totally inhibited the growth of Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus at 15°C. Using the “spot on the lawn” technique both LAB produced an antagonistic agent only against S. aureus. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved