Microbiological Safety and Functional Properties of a Fermented Nut-Based Product.

Fermented nut-based products, obtained after soaking and fermentation, are gaining increasing interest as animal food substitutes because of ethical, environmental and health reasons. In these products, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) perform the fermentation, leading to matrix acidification and contributing to controlling spoilage and pathogenic microbiota. In this work, LAB strains isolated from an artisanal product and combined with a commercial strain were added as starter cultures during nut soaking to produce a cheese-like fermented plant-based product.

Companilactobacillus alimentarius: An extensive characterization of strains isolated from spontaneous fermented sausages.

Companilactobacillus alimentarius is a facultatively heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium (LAB) that is a significant constituent within the microbiota of various traditional fermented foods exerting several functions in fermentative or ripening processes. This species has been isolated from Spanish fermented sausages, where its frequency of isolation was comparable to those of Latilactobacillus sakei and Latilactobacillus curvatus. Despite to its presence in several niches, ecological information on this species is still scarce and only few publications report information about its safety features (i.

Use of two autochthonous bacteriocinogenic strains as starter cultures in the production of , a type of Spanish fermented sausages.

In this work, two autochthonous LAB strains ( BPF2 and ST6), isolated from spontaneously fermented sausages produced in Spain, were tested to produce Spanish fermented sausages () in pilot plants, due to their promising technological and anti-listerial activity. These products were compared with a sample obtained with a commercial starter (RAP) and a spontaneously fermented control sample. Physico-chemical parameters, microbial counts, metagenomic analysis, biogenic amines content and organoleptic profile of the obtained samples were studied to assess the performances of the native starters.

Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Spontaneously Fermented Sausages: Bioprotective, Technological and Functional Properties.

Fermentation is one of the most ancient strategies to improve safety and extend shelf-life of the products. Starter cultures are mainly represented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which may also be bioprotective agents controlling the fermentation process, the native microbiota and pathogen outgrowth. This work aimed to select new LAB strains from spontaneously fermented sausages produced in different areas of Italy, which can be effective as starter cultures and bioprotective agents in fermented salami.

Impact of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation on Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Avocado Leaf Extracts.

The growing global consumption of avocados, associated with contents including bioactive compounds with numerous health-promoting properties, is producing a large amount of agro wastes around the world. Different management approaches are available for the recovery of bioactive compounds from wastes as potential ingredients for use in the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals. Lactic acid fermentation can be used to exploit nutritional potential and add value to agro wastes.

Survival, growth, and biogenic amine production of FC12 in response to extracts and essential oils of and .

Introduction: Enterococci are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) usually found as food contaminants in fermented products such as cheeses and fermented sausages. Due to their antibiotic resistance, the presence of virulence factors, and the ability to produce biogenic amines (BAs), the determination of these bacteria is crucial to assure food quality and safety. BAs production and consequent accumulation in foods can cause toxicological effects on human health.

Improving the Shelf-Life of Fish Burgers Made with a Mix of Sea Bass and Sea Bream Meat by Bioprotective Cultures.

Seafood products are one of the most perishable foods, and their shelf life is limited by enzymatic and microbial spoilage. Developing methods to extend the shelf life of fresh fish could reduce food waste in the fishery industry, retail stores, and private households. In recent decades, the application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as bioprotective cultures has become a promising tool.

Taxonomical Identification and Safety Characterization of from Mediterranean Natural Fermented Sausages.

Fermented meat products represent an important industrial sector in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean Countries (MC), where the presence of numerous local productions, still obtained through spontaneous fermentation, is recognized as a formidable treasure chest of unexplored microbial biodiversity. naturally occurring in fifteen spontaneously fermented sausages from MC (Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Slovenia) were isolated and taxonomically characterized using molecular techniques. Additionally, a safety assessment for the presence of antibiotic resistances and biogenic amine (BA) production was performed to determine their suitability as autochthonous starter cultures.

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Hydroethanolic Leaf Extracts from Six Mediterranean Olive Cultivars.

Phenolic profiles, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of hydroethanolic olive leaf extracts from six Mediterranean olive cultivars (Croatian: , , ; Italian: , , ) were investigated. As expected, various distributions of phenolic levels were observed for each cultivar and the total phenolic content showed high variability (ranging from 4 to 22 mg GAE/g of dry extract), with the highest amount of phenolics found in the sample, which also provided the highest antiradical (ORAC) and reducing activity (FRAP). The screening of individual compounds was performed by HPLC-PDA-ESI-QTOF-MS and the main detected compounds were oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, oleoside/secologanoside, verbascoside, rutin, luteolin glucoside, hydroxyoleuropein, and ligstroside.

Safety and technological issues of dry fermented sausages produced without nitrate and nitrite.

The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility to industrially produce fermented sausages without the addition of nitrate and nitrite. Indeed, despite their antimicrobial effect and multiple technological roles, an increasing pressure for their removal has recently raised. To achieve this goal while maintaining an acceptable final product quality, we deeply modified the whole process, that was carried out at 10-15 °C (i.

Effects of Rubus fruticosus and Juniperus oxycedrus derivatives on culturability and viability of Listeria monocytogenes.

The consumers' demand for safe foods without chemical additives increased the research for green solutions, based on natural antimicrobials. Plants can be an important source of bioactive compounds able to prevent the development of foodborne pathogens and spoilage microflora. This paper aimed to characterize phenolic extracts (PEs) and essential oils (EOs) obtained from Mediterranean Rubus fruticosus leaves and Juniperus oxycedrus needles and to evaluate their antimicrobial effects against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A.

Insights into the Metabolomic Diversity of .

(), widely used as a starter culture in fermented sausages, is a species adapted to meat environments. Its ability to survive for a long time in such products is due to the exploitation of different metabolic pathways to gain energy (hexose and pentose sugar fermentation, amino acids catabolism, etc.).

Variations in the Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of during Seasonal Growth.

The underexplored biodiversity of seaweeds has recently drawn great attention from researchers to find the bioactive compounds that might contribute to the growth of the blue economy. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of seasonal growth (from May to September) on the in vitro antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH, and ORAC) and antimicrobial effects (MIC and MBC) of collected in the Central Adriatic Sea. Algal compounds were analyzed by UPLC-PDA-ESI-QTOF, and TPC and TTC were determined.

Mediterranean Spontaneously Fermented Sausages: Spotlight on Microbiological and Quality Features to Exploit Their Bacterial Biodiversity.

The wide array of spontaneously fermented sausages of the Mediterranean area can represent a reservoir of microbial biodiversity and can be an important source of new technological and functional strains able to preserve product properties, counteracting the impoverishment of their organoleptic typical features due to the introduction of commercial starter cultures. We analysed 15 artisanal salamis from Italy, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia to evaluate the microbiota composition, through culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques (i.e.

Seasonal Changes in Essential Oil Constituents of : First Report.

Marine macroalgae are well known to release a wide spectrum of volatile organic components, the release of which is affected by environmental factors. This paper aimed to identify the essential oil (EO) compounds of the brown algae collected in the Adriatic Sea monthly, from May until August. EOs were isolated by hydrodistillation using a Clavenger-type apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Listeria monocytogenes sensitivity to antimicrobial treatments depends on cell origin.

In this study we investigated how cell origin could affect the efficacy of an antimicrobial treatment (mild heating combined with terpenoids) in Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, considering cells from: 1. single colony, 2. glycerol stock, 3.

Competition between Starter Cultures and Wild Microbial Population in Sausage Fermentation: A Case Study Regarding a Typical Italian Salami ().

The work reports a case study describing how the competition wild microflora vs. starter cultures affects the final product characteristics. This study regards an industrial lot of , an Italian long-ripened traditional fermented sausages, produced using starter cultures.

Sustainable sources for antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds used in meat and seafood products.

The contribution of food in promotion of health has become of most importance. The challenges that lie before the global food supply chain, such as climate changes, food contamination, and antimicrobial resistance may compromise food safety at international scale. Compounds with strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activity can be extracted from different natural and sustainable sources and may contribute to extend the shelf life of meat and seafood products, enhance food safety and enrich foods with additional biologically active and functional ingredients.

Biogenic Amines and Food Quality: Emerging Challenges and Public Health Concerns.

In addition to pathogenic bacteria and viruses, some bioactive compounds and natural toxins such as biogenic amines (BAs) can be responsible for food poisoning. These compounds, produced mainly by bacteria through the action of decarboxylases, represent a risk for consumers' health and are involved in several pathogenic syndromes, with histamine and tyramine being the most dangerous ones. Since the presence of dangerous amounts of BAs is associated with the relevant growth of spoiling decarboxylating microorganisms, BA content has been proposed as a food quality index in fresh products.

Bioactive Components in Fermented Foods and Food By-Products.

Food fermentation is one of the most ancient processes of food production that has historically been used to extend food shelf life and to enhance its organoleptic properties [...

Heat-Assisted Pulsed Electric Field Treatment for the Inactivation of : Effects of the Presence of Citral.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment is a non-thermal technology that has shown good potential for microbial inactivation. However, in many cases, it cannot be sufficient to avoid microbial proliferation, and the combination with other stabilizing technologies is needed. In the framework of the hurdle concept, several researches have been focused on the use of PEF in combination with heat and/or antimicrobials to increase its efficacy.

Modeling of yeast thermal resistance and optimization of the pasteurization treatment applied to soft drinks.

Yeast are usually responsible for spoilage of soft drinks and fruit beverages, because of the particular characteristics of these products (low pH, high C/N ratio). The microbial stability is guaranteed by thermal treatments. However, excessive heat treatments can affect food sensorial quality.

Biogenic Amine Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Review.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are considered as the main biogenic amine (BA) producers in fermented foods. These compounds derive from amino acid decarboxylation through microbial activities and can cause toxic effects on humans, with symptoms (headache, heart palpitations, vomiting, diarrhea) depending also on individual sensitivity. Many studies have focused on the aminobiogenic potential of LAB associated with fermented foods, taking into consideration the conditions affecting BA accumulation and enzymes/genes involved in the biosynthetic mechanisms.