engleski

Microbial diversity of traditional wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat sausages produced in Croatia

Natural fermentation of game meat sausages has a long tradition in various countries for thousands of years, and nowadays still represents most commonly used practice for game meat preparation and preservation. Artisanal sausages prepared from wild boar meat are highly appreciated due to their authenticity and specific sensory qualities. However, there are certain concerns regarding the safety and hygienic conditions of ready-to-eat products. The current study aimed to explore the microbial diversity of traditionally produced wild boar sausages in order to estimate microbiological hazards as well as to obtain the collection of indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that could potentially be used as a starter and/or bioprotective cultures. Samples were collected from 3 different sausage producers (F1, F2, F3) after 0, 4, 7, 10, 20 days, and at the end of ripening. Total of 531 LAB isolates were collected using KAA, MRS, and MSE selective media and grouped using the rep – PCR method. After the cluster analysis, the representative members of each cluster group were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and based on PCR tools for the identification at the genus and species level. The prevalent isolates were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides (23.35%), followed by Lactobacillus sakei (18.08%) and Enterococcus casseliflavus (13.75%). Relevant strains were selected for further technological characterization. One out of three ready-to-eat sausages (F3) indicated safety risks to the consumers due to the high incidence of E.coli, with cell counts of 3.04 log CFU/g. This finding was supported by detected high numbers of B. cereus (3.86 log/CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae (3.86 log CFU/g) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.15 log CFU/g). Spontaneously fermented wild boar sausages not only gave rise to safety concerns but also represent a valuable source of new presumptive starter strains.

game meat sausages ; lactic acid bacteria ; diversity

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