Microbial changes during ripening of fermented horsemeat sausages
In this research the microbiological changes during the ripening of fermented horsemeat sausages were studied. Three sausages were sampled on day 0, 14, 28 and 42. Microbiological analysis included the determination of counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, micrococci, Staphylococcus aureus, enterobacteria, Escherichia coli, yeasts and moulds, enterococci, Pseudomonas spp, sulphite-reducing clostridia, and identification of the presence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella species. During fermentation, in the sausage microflora prevailed LAB (6-8 log10 cfu g-1), but there were also micrococci (2-3 log10 cfu g-1), and yeasts and fungi (3-4 log10 cfu g-1). Significant drop in pH value was recorded during the first 14 days of fermentation (5.82 on day 0, and 5.02 on day 14). That, and other possible antimicrobial mechanisms of LAB, led to the expected reduction of microorganism counts or elimination of enterobacteria, E. coli, pathogenic staphylococci and sulphite-reducing clostridia.