TECHNOLOGICAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF LACTOBACILLUS STRAINS AS STARTER CULTURES IN FERMENTED SAUSAGES

The performance of several lactobacilli strains isolated from naturall y fermented sausages as starter cultures was evaluated. Microbiologica l, physical and chemical changes, ill addition to sensorial aspects we re studied. From the 12 different strains tested, 10 were capable of l eading the fermentation in every batch throughout the process. The mon itoring of the inoculated strains was easily carried out by plasmid pr ofiles and by checking the pH rate drop of the sausages, which was slo wer for the non-inoculated lots. Treatment using natural fermentation resulted in a product where hydrogen sulphide odours, which could be r elated to the higher content of Enterobacteriaceae throughout the ripe ning process, diminished its overall acceptability. The lots seeded wi th different L. sake strains were found to be low in acid in sensory e valuation, correlating with a low lactic acid content. In contrast, th e L. plantarum lot gave rise to an over-acidified product related to h aving the highest amount of lactic acid at the end of the process. As a general rule lactobacilli strains isolated from meat origins are goo d candidates as starter cultures in the manufacture of dry-fermented s ausages and produce satisfactory products depending on the specific st rains used more than on the species.