Preserving non-fermented refrigerated foods with microbial cultures—a review

The use of microbial cultures offers a natural temperature-responsive preservation method. The inhibition at refrigeration temperatures is associated with production of low molecular weight compounds including lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins. Bacteriocin-producing cultures are not effective against Gram-negative bacteria and special strategies are needed. The role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in the antibiosis is reviewed with the examples in a range of refrigerated foods. The suggested protocol for practical applications includes the selection of cultures, screening in microbiological media, trials in food and the strategies to enhance the inhibitory effect.