Control of Staphylococcus aureus in sausages by enterocin AS-48

Results presented here are the first contribution on the anti-staphylococcal activity of bacteriocin AS-48 in a model meat sausage system. We have examined bacteriocin application, by inoculation with the enterocin AS-48 producer strain Enterococcus faecalis A-48-32 or by adding a semi-purified bacteriocin preparation. AS-48 inhibits proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus in sausages when added at concentrations of 30 or 40 μg/g, achieving a significant reduction of 2 and 5.31 log units, respectively, in viable counts (CFU/g) of staphylococci with respect to the untreated control. The presence of bacteriocin also had a moderate negative effect on total lactic acid bacteria. AS-48+ strain was developed well in the meat mixture, producing sufficient amounts of AS-48 (to a maximum of 76–88 arbitrary units/g) to control growth of staphylococci. The best result was achieved with a bacteriocinogenic strain inoculum of 107 CFU/g.