Influence of bacteriocins produced by Lactobacillus plantarum BN in the shelf-life of refrigerated bovine meat

Sugar cane molasses is a cheap by-product of the sugar cane industry. This product was used for growth and production of bacteriocins by Lactobacillus plantarum BN and evaluated for its potential application in the extension of the shelf-life of raw meat Bovine meat cubes were dipped in the filtered and neutralized supernatant of the fermented broth (Treatment A) and store d at 5 degreesC. Counts of psychrotrophic and mesophilic aerobic microorgan isms, pH determination and total acidity were performed on meat cubes after 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days. These determinations were also done in cubes d ipped in a 6% lactic acid solution (treatment B) and distilled water (treat ment C). After 3 days, the counts of psychrotrophic microorganisms in cubes submitted to treatment A, B and C increased 0.38, 1.42 and 2.04 log cycles , respectively. The same happened with mesophilic microorganisms (0.31, 0.3 3 and 1.04 log cycles increases, respectively). On the sixth day, the psych rotrophic population in samples submitted to treatments A and B were 2.07 a nd 0.64 log cycles, respectively, lower than in the control samples (treatm ent C). Mesophilic microorganisms in these samples were 1.58 and 1.12 log c ycles, respectively, lower than the controls. On the sixth day, only sample s submitted to treatment A presented lower counts than those recommended by ICMSF as quality standards for raw meat (< 10(7) CFU/g). After nine days o f storage under refrigeration, samples submitted to treatment A still maint ained acceptable quality. From the twelfth day on, all samples exceeded the microbial quality limits. These results indicate that dipping of raw meat in filtered sugar cane molasses containing bacteriocins produced by L plant arum BN may be an interesting technological option to extend the shelf life of refrigerated bovine meat.