Factors affecting the production of hydrogen sulphide by Lactobacillus sake L13 growing on vacuum‐packaged beef

Abstract

Lactobacillus sake L13 produced hydrogen sulphide during growth at 0°C on vacuum‐packaged beef of normal pH (5·6–5·8) when the packaging films used had oxygen permeabilities as high as 200 ml/m2/24 h/atm (measured at 25°C and 98% relative humidity. No hydrogen sulphide was detected when the film permeability was 300 ml/m2/24 h/atm. Sulphmyoglobin was formed whenever hydrogen sulphide was present except when the film permeability was very low (1 ml of oxygen/m2/24 h/atm). Lactobacillus sake L13 also produced hydrogen sulphide when grown on beef under anaerobic conditions at 5°C. When meat pH was high (6·4–6·6) hydrogen sulphide was first detected after incubation for 9 d. When 250 μg of glucose was added to each g of high pH meat, or when meat pH was normal (5·6–5·8), hydrogen sulphide was first detected after incubation for 18 d. The spoilage of beef by hydrogen sulphide‐producing lactobacilli is more rapid when the pH of the meat is high because high‐pH meat contains less glucose. Sulphmyoglobin formation and greening can be prevented by the use of packaging films of very low oxygen permeability.

Effect of Lactobacillus cultures on microbiological, chemical and odour changes during storage of rainbow trout fillets

“…After spreading inocula by manually massaging the exterior of each bag, the fillets were individually vacuum‐packaged in polyacrylamide–polyethylene bags (O 2 transmission rate: 42 cm 3 m −2 24 h −1 at 23 °C, 1 atm and RH 0%) and stored in a refrigerator at 4 ± 0.5 °C. The permeability of the packaging material was chosen in order to favour the growth of LAB by creating a microaerophilic environment and at the same time to prevent formation of sulfides by the Lactobacillus strains, which can occur in complete absence of oxygen 24. The experiments were repeated three times, in order to remove any effects deriving from the initial quality of the raw material.…”

Microbiology of food taints

“…The compounds responsible are acetic, 2‐methylpropanoic, 3‐methylbutanoic and lactic acids, and these accumulate in naturally contaminated samples ( Dainty, 1981). A ‘sulfide’‐type spoilage has been observed in normal‐pH beef packaged in material with high oxygen permeability ( Egan et al ., 1989 ). The causative organisms were strains of Lactobacillus sake that produced hydrogen sulfide from cysteine.…”

Ropy slime-producing Lactobacillus sake strains possess a strong competitive ability against a commercial biopreservative

“…Hansen), on the production of ropy slime by four previously characterised (Björkroth and Korkeala, 1996a;Björkroth et al, 1996) Lactobacillus sake strains. These strains since L. sake has been detected as a SSO in vacuum-packaged cooked meat products (Reuter et al 1970a;1970b;1975;Holzapfel and Gerber, 1986;Korkeala et al, 1988;Egan et al, 1989;Mäkelä et al, 1992c;Dykes and von Holy, 1994;Dykes et al, 1994a) and the detection of ropy spoilage in sensorial tests is very accurate compared to the detection of off-odours or off-tastes.…”