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US 4,303,679 AGranted
Method and bacterial compositions for fermenting meats
AssigneeMicrolife Technics, Inc.
InventorMoshe Raccach
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AssigneeMicrolife Technics, Inc.
InventorMoshe Raccach
Estimating the term…
A method and bacterial compositions are described for producing fermented meat by generating lactic acid using selected cultures of Pediococcus pentosaceus which have unique low temperature meat fermentation characteristics. The preferred Pediococcus pentosaceus is NRRL-B-11,465 which is unusually rapid in lowering the pH at low meat temperatures. A stimulatory, edible metal salt, preferably a manganese salt, is provided in the meat with the Pediococcus pentosaceus to reduce or eliminate preservative inhibition and/or to accelerate growth at meat temperatures between 15.6.degree. C. (60.degree. F.) to 26.7.degree. C. (80.degree. F.). Preservatives to prevent spoilage and rancidity can be used in the meat and can include hydroxyaryl antioxidants, particularly butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and/or butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). BHT and/or BHA together with other meat preservatives, particularly sodium chloride, severely inhibit NRRL-B-11,465 at low meat temperatures between 15.6.degree. C. (60.degree. F.) and 26.7.degree. C. (80.degree. F.). Pediococcus pentosaceus compositions containing the stimulatory metal salt are also described. The method and compositions, particularly with a manganese salt, can produce a pH of less than about 5.0 in less than 30 hours at smokehouse temperatures above about 15.6.degree. C. (60.degree. F.) and at initial meat temperatures of 4.4.degree. C. to 10.degree. C. (40.degree. to 50.degree. F.) with standard casing diameters (up to about 100 mm). Pediococcus pentosaceus NRRL-B-11,465 is particularly adapted for low temperature meat fermentation and rapidly lowers the pH in the meat to about 4.3 under these conditions with sufficient added assimilable carbohydrate. The method is particularly useful for making dry and semi-dry sausage as well as for nitrite reduction in meats due to the lowering of the pH.
The improvement in a meat fermentation method including the steps of providing lactic acid producing bacteria in the meat with an assimilable carbohydrate and then fermenting the meat with the bacteria so that lactic acid is produced from the carbohydrate over a period of time in the fermented meat which comprises:
In a meat fermentation method including the steps of providing lactic acid producing bacteria in the meat with an assimilable sugar and with meat spoilage and rancidity inhibiting preservatives and then fermenting the meat with the bacteria so that lactic acid is produced from the sugar over a period of time in the fermented meat the improvement which comprises:
A culture of Pediococcus pentosaceus adapted for meat fermentations including an assimilable carbohydrate at smokehouse temperatures between about 15.6.degree. C. and 48.9.degree. C. which comprises a selected Pediococcus pentosaceus grown in growth medium including assimilable sources of carbon, nitrogen and inorganic substances to a concentration of at least about 1.times.10.sup.7 of the Pediococcus pentosaceus per ml, having a pH between about 4 and 7 and said culture containing a stimulatory food grade metal salt after growth in an amount sufficient to accelerate the fermentation in the meat by providing a concentration of metal ion between about 0.01 ppm and 1500 ppm in the meat, wherein the selected Pediococcus pentosaceus culture has the meat fermentation characteristics of Pediococcus pentosaceus NRRL-B-11,465 and is characterized by an ability to rapidly ferment in a meat admixture with an assimilable sugar at temperatures in a range between 15.6.degree. C. and 26.7.degree. C. to produce a pH less than about 5.
In a meat fermentation method including the steps of providing lactic acid producing bacteria in the meat with an assimilable carbohydrate and then fermenting the meat at temperatures between 15.6.degree. C. and 48.9.degree. C. with the bacteria so that lactic acid is produced from the carbohydrate over a period of time in the fermented meat, the improvement which comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.