The influence of some starter cultures and GDL on the formation of biogenic amines in dry sausages

The influence of five common starter cultures and glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) on the formation of histamine, tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermine and spermidine in dry sausages was studied. Sausages were manufactured in a pilot plant from two different batches of raw material. No major differences were observed between the starter cultures studied in the biogenic amine levels detected during ripening. The lowest levels of histamine were detected in sausages fermented by GDL and Staphylococcae with or without lactic acid bacteria as a starter culture. In pure culture studies performed with a turbidometric method in MRS broth, non-starter lactic acid bacteria isolated from sausages were found to be more sensitive to acidic conditions than the starter strains used in the study. The addition of 2% histidine to MRS broth resulted in a tremendous increase in histamine production (from 1-2 to 6000 ppm). However, in histidine-fortified MRS broth with GDL addition, only 54 ppm of histamine was formed. According to these results, the pH decrease caused by GDL addition decreases histamine formation in dry sausages and in MRS broth. The differences in pH decrease may be one reason for the very varying concentrations of histamine detected in retail dry sausages