Lactic acid bacteria in meat and fish: new approaches for traditional applications

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the main characters during fermentation of musclebased foods, guaranteeing safety and sensorial quality of the products. The diversity of LAB resulting from the prevailing environmental conditions in processed meat and fish as well as the results in which LAB are involved as functional cultures are discussed. Particularly, the role of bacteriocinogenic Enterococcus during meat fermentation and the effect of curing agents on the antimicrobial activity is here described. In addition, LAB adaption to stressful conditions is analyzed by post-genomic technologies.