ABSTRACT
The production of fermented foods is one of the oldest food processing technologies known to man. The original and primary purpose of fermentation was to ensure shelf life and microbiological safety of the products. Thus, the research on starter cultures was mainly focused on their protective effect. Most fermented sausages formulated with nitrate and/or nitrite are produced with a starter culture, generally consisting of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS). The use of bacterial starter cultures with protective effects can enhance the safety of meat products and prevent potential foodborne microbial hazards. Strategies using a biopreservation approach are investigated to "naturally" control the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. The exploitation of data on bacterial genomes of technological interest offer new research opportunities by revealing properties that could explain their adaptation to the meat environment, their interaction with a specific substrate, and their competitiveness.
