Inhibition of different strains of enteropathogens in a lactic-fermenting cereal gruel.

Twenty-eight strains of enteropathogens, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, enterotoxigenic Escherichica coli (ETEC), Staphylococcus and Bacillus were added to cereal gruels prepared from low-tannin sorghum and inoculated with a lactic acid starter culture. Campylobacter strains were not detectable after 6 h, and Salmonella, Shigella and Staphylococcus strains not after 12 h. No viable cells of Bacillus strains were detected after 16 h of fermentation and the ETEC strains were completely inhibited after 24 h. No strain variability was observed within the different genera. In control gruels (no starter culture added), all the enteropathogens increased in number during incubation at 32°C except for the Campylobacter strains which decreased after 12 h of incubation.