Abstract
Different ingredients in old recipes are becoming popular and the traditional alheira did not escape to this new trend. The objective of this preliminary study was to characterize microbiologically nine different formulations of alheira from five producers. In this sense, isolates obtained were characterized through different phenotypic and biochemical tests. Their susceptibility to different antimicrobials and the presence of virulence factors was also investigated. Lactic acid bacteria were the predominant microbiota, but pathogenic bacteria as coagulase-positive staphylococci, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. as well as indicator organisms were also found. Several virulence factors were produced among the different groups of isolates, with a high incidence of isolates producing β-haemolysis. Along with their potential pathogenic activity, also several antimicrobial resistances were found being the majority of isolates classified as multi-resistant. At our knowledge, this is the first study with these new formulations of alheira. A higher number of products must be analyzed, but we believe that results obtained in this study should help to alert consumers for the need of safe cooking time/temperatures of these products.
Highlights
Fermented meat products are important elements in the economy of certain regions, because of their culinary heritage, and due to their unique flavors and textures [1]
Appropriate decimal dilutions were prepared in sterile Ringer’s solution (LabM, Bury, UK) for microbial enumeration according to ISO Standards: total microorganisms at 30 °C on plate count agar (PCA, Pronadisa, Madrid, Spain; [4]), lactic acid bacteria on de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe Agar (MRS, Biokar Diagnostics, Beauvais, France; [5]) and enterococci on Bile esculin azide agar (BEAA, Biokar Diagnostics; [6]); Enterobacteriaceae on violet red bile dextrose agar (VRBD, Merck; [7]) and coagulase-positive staphylococci on Baird Parker Agar (BPA, Pronadisa; ISO [8]); Escherichia coli on Triptone Bile X-glucuronide Agar (TBX, Bio-Rad, CA, USA; ISO [9]) and yeasts and moulds on RoseBengal Chloramphenicol Agar (Oxoid, Hampshire, UK; [10])
Isolates of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were screened for the production of histamine, tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine, according to the method described by Bover-Cid and Holzapfel [24]
Summary
Fermented meat products are important elements in the economy of certain regions, because of their culinary heritage, and due to their unique flavors and textures [1]. In Portugal, there are a wide variety of fermented meat products and their manufacture represents an important income in specific regions, predominantly in the North and the Southern regions [2] Many of these products are fashionable food products that command high prices in urban centers and in export markets. It is necessary to characterize these new products in order to uphold their food safety and create the science base on which strategies for competitiveness and sustainability can be built Such knowledge would allow the development of new methods of production and quality control, simultaneously compatible with modern retail channels and respectful of the unique characteristics of these products. This preliminary study aimed to analyze the microbiota of nine different formulations of alheiras. The characterization of isolates through different phenotypic and biochemical tests as well as evaluation of their susceptibility to different antimicrobials and the presence of virulence factors was performed
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