Preliminary study of physico-chemical and microbiological features of brine in the process of preserving the green olives of oblica cultivar

Abstract

Lactic fermentation is the most natural way for foodstuffs to reach microbiological stability and prolonged shelf life. The purpose of this research was to screen a spontaneous lactic fermentation during the process of preserving the green olives of Oblica cultivar (the autochthonous Croatian cultivar) in the agriculture cooperative near Split (Croatia). Using API 50CHL and APILAB PLUS software, the species Lactobacillus curvatus was isolated and identified during the second week of the brining process. In the latter phase of the fermentation process, the presence of microorganisms belonging to this genus was not identified, which proves that spontaneous lactic fermentation in the process of preserving green olives of the Oblica cultivar had been incomplete. This was also proved by the values of fundamental physico-chemical features (low pH, high total acidity concentration, inadequate temperature). Presented results show the necessity of applying starter culture in the process of preserving green olives of the Oblica cultivar.