Shelf-Life Extension of Vacuum Packaged Frankfurters Made from Beef Inoculated with Streptococcus lactis

Fresh beef, containing .5% dextrose, was inoculated with Streptococcus lactis , incubated for 3, 5 and 7 d at 7±1°C, and then used to manufacture frankfurters. The frankfurters were vacuum-packaged and stored for 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks at 3±1°C. Microbial quality was evaluated by examining frankfurters for aerobic and psychrotrophic counts at the end of each storage period. The level of nisin, an antibiotic substance produced by this strain of S. lactis , was also monitored in fresh meat and processed products. During the incubation period, no appreciable reduction in pH occurred in fresh meat. Growth of psychrotrophs was slower in treated than untreated fresh meat, but whether this was due to presence of nisin or competition resulting from the heavy inoculation with S. lactis is unclear. Before and after processing, nisin levels in the 5- and 7-d incubation-treated groups were higher than in the 3-d group, and all treated groups had higher nisin levels than untreated groups. Little difference in aerobic and psychrotrophic growth was noted with storage time between treated and untreated groups for the 3-d incubation period, but well defined differences were noted in the 5- and 7-d incubation groups, with aerobic growth in treated groups being significantly slowed through the 6-week storage period, and psychrotrophs being 1 to 1.5 log cycles lower at the 6-week evaluation. The growth patterns suggest that nisin played a role in the reduced growth rate of bacteria in treated groups.