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Fresh pork sausages packaged under modified atmosphere (70% dioxygen and 30% carbon dioxide) were analyzed in order to characterize the composition of the microbial communities (or microbiota) associated with these products. Two formulations have been studied, one containing potassium lactate and sodium acetate as preservatives and the other not.
During refrigerated storage, microbiological analyzes, measurements of pH, gases in the packaging (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and sensory evaluations were carried out in order to see if the removal of the preservatives induced changes in the product that the 'we can correlate with an acceleration of the bacterial spoilage process. It was observed that lactic acid and mesophilic bacteria grew in a similar way in the two formulations and that the changes in pH and gas in the packaging did not depend on the presence of preservatives. However, from a sensory point of view, the spoilage appeared earlier in meat that did not contain preservatives.
Metagenetic analysis showed, after twelve days of refrigerated storage, that lactic acid bacteria dominated in both formulations. However, the distribution of bacterial species differed depending on the formulation. Meat without preservatives was characterized by a greater presence of bacterial species known for their spoilage capacity, namely Brochothrix spp. and Pseudomonas spp. while the lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides / pseudomesenteroides as well as Lactobacillus curvatus / graminis dominated in meat containing preservatives.

Partners : This study was performed in UMR Inrae-Oniris  SECALIM, in the framework of the FUI n°15 Meatic
Publication: Bouju-Albert, A., M.-F. Pilet and S. Guillou 2018. Influence of lactate and acetate removal on the microbiota of French fresh pork sausages. Food Microbiology 76: 328-336.