Use of enterocin CCM 4231 to control Listeria monocytogenes in experimentally contaminated dry fermented Hornád salami.

The effectiveness of enterocin CCM 4231 in controlling Listeria monocytogenes contamination in dry fermented Hornád salami was examined. Three independent salami treatments were conducted under pilot plant and laboratory conditions. Salamis were produced according to standard technological parameters and stages with ripening for 3 weeks. The reference samples consisted of the meat mixture without either L. monocytogenes or bacteriocin addition. The control sample (CS) consisted of the meat mixture with 1% of L. monocytogenes inoculum (10(8) cfu ml(-1)) added; while the experimental sample (ES) consisted of the same mixture with enterocin CCM 4231 (12800 AU g(-1)) added. Sampling was done on the first day of the experiment, before and after bacteriocin addition for ES, on the second day and after 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The enterocin addition resulted in the reduction of L. monocytogenes by 1.67 log cycle in the ES when compared to the CS immediately after addition of the bacteriocin. Although on the second day, the growth of L. monocytogenes in ES reached 3.38 cfu g(-1) (log 10), a difference of 1.72 log was found between the ES and the CS. After 1 week of ripening, the L. monocytogenes count in the CS reached 10(7) cfu g(-1); while in the ES the count was 10(4) cfu g(-1), a difference which was maintained after 2 and 3 weeks of ripening. However, bacteriocin activity in the ES could not be detected analytically. The meat mixture used did not contain Listeria.