Effect of different starter cultures on the biogenic amines production as a critical control point in fresh fermented sausages

The selection of critical control points is one of the most important steps in the design of a hazard analysis and critical control points system. In this study, the influence of starter culture inoculation on biogenic amine accumulation in fresh fermented sausage as critical control point was studied. The effect of three starter culture Lactobacillus plantarum plus Bifidobacterium lactis, L. plantarum plus Bifidobacterium bifidum or L. plantarum plus B. lactis and B. bifidum on amines production were investigated. Tyramine (TY), Cadaverine (CA), Putrescine (PU), Histamine (HIS) and Tryptamine (TR) contents increased during the fermentation and storage stage, and TY was the prevailing amine in the final product. Sausages produced by fermentation with starters, as compared to natural fermentation (control), had a lower amount of biogenic amine. A great reduction in biogenic amine content was achieved when Bifidobacterium sp. were inoculated, also levels of species of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas decreased, while lactic acid bacteria counts increased during fermentation and storage.