Sucuk, Turkish Style Fermented Sausage: Evaluation of the Effect of Bioprotective Starter Cultures on the Microbiological, Physicochemical and Chemical Changes

Abstract

Abstract Bioprotection, which is preferred in controlling food safety and shelf life by using natural protection methods, is one of the most popular of these natural protection methods. Lactic acid bacteria, especially Lactobacilli strains, are used in the food industry for this purpose due to probiotic properties and, accordingly, bioprotective properties. We aimed to investigate the role of bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus sakei, and Pediococcus acidilactici, in microbiological, physicochemical and chemical changes of Turkish-style fermented sausage, sucuk. The effects of protective cultures were compared with commercial starter cultures consisting of Pediococcus pentosaceus + Staphylococcus carnosus and a non-cultured control group. L. sakei inoculation resulted in the rapid domination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the environment followed by P. acidilactici inoculation whereas commercially used starter culture and non-culture groups had lower counts of LAB. Moreover, L. sakei and P. acidilactici succeeded to inhibit significant levels of pathogens including S. aureus, E. coli, and Enterobacteriaceae. The number of enterococci decreased notably in the L. sakei inoculated sucuk samples; however, an increase was determined in samples inoculated with P. acidilactici. On the other side, the effect of commercial starter cultures was not as sufficient as protective cultures for the inhibition of food-borne pathogens in sucuk samples. Consequently, the inoculation of protective cultures, particularly L. sakei, provided a considerable contribution to improving microbial quality and food safety, retards lipid oxidation and increases proteolytic activity without important changes in sensory properties.