Effects of Different Starter Cultures on the Microbial Flora and Physicochemical Characteristics of Xiangxi Sausage
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Abstract:
Dynamic changes in five microbial populations (total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., yeast, and Enterobacteria) and physicochemical characteristics at different fermentation stages of Xiangxi sausages prepared by natural fermentation, or fermented with Pediococcus pentosaceus, Staphylococcus xylosus, or mixed bacteria, were investigated in this study. The microbial data revealed that the initial counts of Enterobacter in the four types of sausages were around 5.30 log cfu/g, and the values in the sausages with and without Pediococcus pentosaceus culture reached about 1.00 log cfu/g and about 3.30 log cfu/g at the end of fermentation, respectively. This result indicated that Pediococcus pentosaceus could effectively inhibit the growth of Enterobacter, and ensure the safety and stability of the products. The pH values dropped below 5.30 at the beginning of fermentation, and started rising in the middle of fermentation. During the fermentation, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value in the sausage with Pediococcus pentosaceus culture was significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of other three groups; other physicochemical parameters were not affected by the use of starter cultures. Data analysis indicated that the starter cultures could effectively improve the hygiene quality of Xiangxi sausages without significantly affecting the pH value, water activity (AW), and the amount of nitrite residue.
