DEFINED STARTER CULTURES USED FOR FERMENTATION OF SALMON FILLETS

The integration of defined starter cultures into a fish fermentation p rocess was studied, Six lactobacilli and 5 staphylococci strains were tested in a salmon model system, Dependence of bacterial growth and pH reduction on sucrose, NaCl and sodium nitrite concentrations, and fer mentation temperature was evaluated, A combination of Lactobacillus sa ke and Staphylococcus carnosus was then applied to whole salmon fillet s to which NaCl and sucrose had been added. The influence of sucrose a nd NaCl concentrations, temperature and the addition of sodium nitrite on pH, color and microbiological stability was evaluated. Optimal con ditions were 25.g.kg(-1) NaCl, 15g.kg(-1) sucrose, fermentation at 12 degrees C for 3 days, subsequent storage at 4 degrees C.