The influence of some starter cultures and GDL on the formation of biogenic amines in dry sausages

Riitta Maijala,Esko Nurmi,Pauli Hill,Susanna Eerola

doi:10.23986/afsci.72666

Abstract

The influence of five common starter cultures and glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) on the formation of histamine, tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermine and spermidine in dry sausages was studied. Sausages were manufactured in a pilot plant from two different batches of raw material. No major differences were observed between the starter cultures studied in the biogenic amine levels detected during ripening. The lowest levels of histamine were detected in sausages fermented by GDL and Staphylococcae with or without lactic acid bacteria as a starter culture. In pure culture studies performed with a turbidometric method in MRS broth, non-starter lactic acid bacteria isolated from sausages were found to be more sensitive to acidic conditions than the starter strains used in the study. The addition of 2% histidine to MRS broth resulted in a tremendous increase in histamine production (from 1-2 to 6000 ppm). However, in histidine-fortified MRS broth with GDL addition, only 54 ppm of histamine was formed. According to these results, the pH decrease caused by GDL addition decreases histamine formation in dry sausages and in MRS broth. The differences in pH decrease may be one reason for the very varying concentrations of histamine detected in retail dry sausages.

Highlights

Over 30 years ago the beneficial influence ofadded starter cultures was shown to improve and to stabilize the quality of dry sausages. NIINIVAARA (1955) recommended the use of micrococci as a starter culture and Nurmi (1966) used a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum with micrococcae
Factors such as starter cultures, raw material and pH decrease, which affect the formation of biogenic amines during sausage fermentation, are not yet fully understood
The pure lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from these starter cultures had previously been found to be histamine- and tyramine-negative in fortified MRS broth (Maijala 1993)

Summary

Introduction

Over 30 years ago the beneficial influence ofadded starter cultures was shown to improve and to stabilize the quality of dry sausages. NIINIVAARA (1955) recommended the use of micrococci as a starter culture (resulting in the development of Baktoferment 61) and Nurmi (1966) used a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum with micrococcae (resulting in the development of Duploferment 66). Lactic acid bacteria are still used in most combinations of dry sausage manufacture. 1975, Vandekerckhove 1977, Ramantanis 1982, Wortberg and WOLLER 1982, PECHANEK et al 1983, Pfannhauser and Pechanek 1984, Bauer et al 1989, Tschabrun et al 1990). Factors such as starter cultures, raw material and pH decrease, which affect the formation of biogenic amines during sausage fermentation, are not yet fully understood. It is difficult to make improvements in sausage fermentation as long as the critical points still remain largely unascertained

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