In vivo evaluation of technological performance of Lactobacillus spp. and Staphylococcus xylosus strains in the production of the traditional fermented sausages Soppressata del Vallo di Diano

In the present study, wild strains of staphylococci and lactobacilli were isolated from Soppressata del Vallo di Diano, characterized and selected on the basis of their most important technological traits in order to evaluate their possible use as starter or adjunct cultures in the same fermented sausages manufactures. Moreover, the lactic acid bacteria with the best technological activities were evaluated for their probiotic traits. The technological activities of the isolates (proteolytic activity on sarcoplasmatic and miofibrillar proteins, lypolitic and nitrato-reduttase activities) were evaluated directly in the food products of interest in the presence of the wild background microflora. This provided information on the performances of the strains in vivo in the complex meat microbiota. Different strains showed interesting technological properties to develop starter cultures to be used in the production of traditional dry fermented sausages.