Application of lysostaphin-producing lactobacilli to control staphylococcal food poisoning in meat products.

Abstract

The potential of lysostaphin-producing strains of Lactobacillus curvatus (Lys+) to prevent food-borne illness by Staphylococcus aureus was investigated under practical conditions. A response surface model was developed to estimate the effect of pH, temperature, and salt concentration on the lysostaphin activity. The model was applied to fermenting sausages, and a 90% reduction of lysostaphin activity at ripening was predicted. The residual was sufficiently high to reduce staphylococcal counts by 10(4) to 10(5) CFU/g within 2 to 3 days to below the level of detection. These results were obtained in pilot scale experiments with L. curvatus (Lys+) as a starter culture and S. aureus as well as Staphylococcus carnosus as model contaminants. The applicability of L. curvatus (Lys+) as a protective culture was studied in a mayonnaise-based meat salad. Upon incubation at 25 degrees C the staphylococci were rapidly killed within 24 h, whereas in the presence of the isogenic Lys(-) strain the staphylococci grew up to numbers of 10(7) CFU/g.

• Authors: C Cavadini, C Hertel, W P Hammes
• Journal: Journal of food protection (J Food Prot) Vol. 61 Issue 4 Pg. 419-24 (Apr 1998) ISSN: 0362-028X [Print] United States
• PMID: 9709204 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Sodium Chloride
• Lysostaphin

Topics

• Antibiosis
• Fermentation
• Food Contamination
• Food Handling (methods)
• Humans
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
• Lactobacillus (growth & development, metabolism)
• Lysostaphin (biosynthesis, pharmacology)
• Meat Products (microbiology)
• Sodium Chloride (pharmacology)
• Staphylococcal Food Poisoning (prevention & control)
• Staphylococcus (growth & development)
• Staphylococcus aureus (growth & development)
• Temperature