A review of bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria used as bioprotective cultures in Argentinean fresh meat.

VIGNOLO GRACIELA; CASTELLANO PATRICIA; BELFIORE CAROLINA; FADDA SILVINA

MEAT SCIENCE

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Año: 2008 vol. 79 p. 483 - 499

0309-1740

In the last few years, concerns over food safety have increased their importance due to its dramatic impact on public health. Although meat has always been of great importance in the human diet, a series of food scandals involving meat and meat products have erupted, triggering a sudden lack of consumer confidence and leading to a dramatic fall in demand. Several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with meat products are important natural bacteriocin producers. Bacteriocins are proteinaceous antagonistic substances considered to be important in the control of spoilage and pathogenous microorganisms. The use of LAB as bioprotective cultures to extend the shelf life of fresh meat will improve microbial stability and safety in commercial meat preservation. Lactobacillus curvatus CRL705 used as a protective culture in fresh beef showed to be effective in inhibiting Listeria innocua and Brochothrix thermosphacta as well as the indigenous contaminant LAB, retaining its inhibitory effect at low temperatures and having a negligible effect on meat pH. In addition to the hurdle represented by low temperature and vacuum-packaging, the use of live cells of Lb. curvatus CRL705 would be more feasible from an economic point of view -and without legal restrictions- compared to the addition of purified bacteriocins. A description of meatborne bacteriocins and their application in meat to extend shelf life is discussed.