Influence of starter cultures on microbiological and physical-chemical parameters of dry-cured products

Abstract

Using the antagonistic competitive interaction of the microbiological cultures has become one of the potential and modern ways to improve the quality of dry-cured meat products. These studies aim to substantiate the use of the starter cultures for producing fermented pork meat products. The studies' physicochemical, microbiological, organoleptic, and statistical methods were used for their implementation. Two starter cultures were used on the basis of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. rhamnosus and Kocuria rosea (SC 1); Staphylococcus carnosus, L. plantarum, L. Rhamnosus and L. paracasei (SC 2). The dynamics of microbiota development, the dynamics of acidity, the content of sodium nitrite, parameters of water activity, the dynamics of moisture changes, the content of nitrogen-containing substances, the accumulation of free cyclic and acyclic amino acids, as well as the organoleptic characteristics were studied. It had been established that the undesirable microflora is suppressed due to the active development of the starter cultures in fermented meat products. The study results confirm that using the starter cultures while producing the dry-cured meat contributes to their dehydration and reduction of the parameters of water activity.  Based on the tasting results, the samples with the addition of the compositions of the starter cultures received a total score higher than the control sample, in particular, they had a beautiful appearance, a cut of red color, an elastic consistency, a delectable flavor with a characteristic sour after-taste. The use of the starter culture based on the combination of Staphylococcus carnosus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, and L. paracasei (SC 2) for the dry-cured meat products to be produced activates the microbiological processes, which improves the structural-mechanical properties of the meat product, increases the water-binding power and, as a whole, positively influences on the quality of the finished product. It has been shown that the use of the drugs SC 2 and SC 1, when the dry-cured pork balyks are produced, decreases the duration of the technological cycle by 3-4 days, as well as ensures a high degree of sanitary and epidemic safety of the finished product: the absence of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms, the low residual content of sodium nitrite of up to 0.003%.