Isolation and characterization of Carnobacterium, Lactococcus, and Enterococcus spp. from cooked, modified atmosphere packaged, refrigerated, poultrymeat

The microbiota of commercially produced, cooked and modified atmosphere pac kaged poultry meat was followed during storage at 3.5 degreesC for up to 7 weeks. The dominant microbiota consisted of Lactococcus raffinolactis (117 isolates), Carnobacterium divergens (61 isolates), Carnobacterium piscicola (11 isolates), Lactococcus garvieae (four isolates), Lactococcus lactis (o ne isolate) and Enterococcus faecalis (three isolates). All isolates were s creened for production of bacteriocins. Only C. piscicola isolates produced an inhibitory substance active against other lactic acid bacteria and agai nst several Listeria spp. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were used for the differentiation of Carnobacterium, L. raffinolact is, L. lactis, and L. garvieae strains associated with the modified atmosph ere packaged poultry products. No false PCR products were observed with oth er closely related bacterial species. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.