Technological and sensorial evaluation of Lactobacillus strains as starter cultures in fermented sausages

The performance of several lactobacilli strains isolated from naturally fermented sausages as starter cultures was evaluated. Microbiological, physical and chemical changes, in addition to sensorial aspects were studied. From the 12 different strains tested, 10 were capable of leading the fermentation in every batch throughout the process. The monitoring of the inoculated strains was easily carried out by plasmid profiles and by checking the pH rate drop of the sausages, which was slower for the non-inoculated lots. Treatment using natural fermentation resulted in a product where hydrogen sulphide odours, which could be related to the higher content of Enterobacteriaceae throughout the ripening process, diminished its overall acceptability. The lots seeded with different L. sake strains were found to be low in acid in sensory evaluation, correlating with a low lactic acid content. In contrast, the L. plantarum lot gave rise to an overacidified product related to having the highest amount of lactic acid at the end of the process. As a general rule lactobacilli strains isolated from meat origins are good candidates as starter cultures in the manufacture of dry-fermented sausages and produce satisfactory products depending on the specific strains used more than on the species.