Applications and brand names
Meat surface and ripening cultures
Meat surface and ripening cultures are evaluated for a number of critical factors key to the successful production of quality meat and sausage. Strains are evaluated for their rate of acidification and for their proteolytic and lipolytic activities. This allows for selection of the best combination of cultures to meet the desired flavor and texture requirements.
Meat Covering Cultures
These consist of completely characterized strains selected for premium appearance and aroma.
Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium nalgiovensis
These fungi are used to produce dry sausage. They contribute significantly to the quality of the sausage by assisting in the drying process and by protecting the surface of the sausage.
Each strain is selected for its salt tolerance and for its ability to provide consistent flavor and appearance.
Meat Ripening or Acidifying Cultures
Production of fermented sausage requires selection of strains that will lower the pH of the meat in the correct time for proper development of flavor and texture.
Acidification of the meat (the first stage of the sausage making) – Lactobacillus and Pediococcus species:
- improve the meat binding to give the desired texture
- facilitate moisture loss
- inhibit development of undesirable micro-flora.
Color of the sausage – Staphylococcus species provides stabilization of the red color by the formation of nitrodomyoglobin due to nitrate/nitrite reductase activity.
Flavor formation – Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus species enable the formation of flavor compounds through lipolytic and proteolytic activities.