Microbial Quality and Direct PCR Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Nonpathogenic Staphylococci from Artisanal Low-Acid Sausages

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Abstract
Detection of six species of lactic acid bacteria and six species of gram-positive catalase-positive cocci from low-acid fermented sausages (fuets and chorizos) was assessed by species-specific PCR. Without enrichment,Lactobacillus sakeiandLactobacillus curvatuswere detected in 11.8% of the samples, andLactobacillus plantarumandStaphylococcus xylosuswere detected in 17.6%. Enriched samples allowed the detection ofL. sakeiandS. xylosusin all of the samples (100%) and ofEnterococcus faeciumin 11.8% of the sausages. The percentages ofL. curvatus,L. plantarum,Staphylococcus carnosus, andStaphylococcus epidermidisvaried depending on the sausage type.L. curvatuswas detected in 80% of fuets and in 57% of chorizos.L. plantarumwas found in 50% of fuets and 100% of chorizos.S. epidermidiswas detected in only 11.8% of fuets, andS. carnosuswas detected in only 5.9% of chorizos.Lactococcus lactis,Staphylococcus warneri, andStaphylococcus simulanswere not detected in any sausage type. From a microbiological point of view, 70.6% of the samples could be considered of high quality, as they had low counts ofEnterobacteriaceaeand did not contain any of the food-borne pathogens assayed.