Survival of Yersinia enterocolitica in Fermented Sausages Manufactured With Different Levels of Nitrite and Different Starter Cultures

Abstract

The ability of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3 to grow and survive during the manufacture of fermented sausages made with 0, 50, 80, 100, and 120 mg/kg added sodium nitrite and three different commercial starter cultures was determined. The sausage mass was inoculated to contain 1.7 × 105 of Y. enterocolitica per g. Yersinia was not detected after 28 d in sausages made with 80, 100, or 120 mg/kg of sodium nitrite. All sausages manufactured without or with 50 mg/kg sodium nitrite harbored Yersinia during the test period of 35 d. The highest level of Yersinia (5.9 log10 CFU/g) was detected in sausages made with no sodium nitrite and with Pediococcus acidilactici ©. In sausages made with Lactobacillus pentosus (A), the level of Yersinia was less than 2.0 log10 CFU/g. In sausages made with Lactobacillus plantarum (B) and 50 mg/kg sodium nitrite, the level of Yersinia was 2.9 log10 CFU/g. The pH values made with starters A, B, and C reached the pH values of 4.9, 5.2, and 5.4, respectively.