Production of an antilisterial medium to be used in the industry of Portuguese traditional meat products

Introduction and Objective: Listeria monocytogenes is a great concern in the industry of Portuguese traditional meat products. Bacteriocins, produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great importance in order to face this concern. The reason for that is because some bacteriocins have demonstrated antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes and do not alter the organoleptic characteristics of the products (1). Although MRS broth can fill some fastidious growth requirements of many LAB, it cannot be used in the food industry, not only because it is very expensive, when used for large-scale commercial applications, but also, it contains constituents not approved in food production (2). The objective of this study was to seek for a food grade medium that could promote growth of an autochthonous strain of Lactobacillus and production of bacteriocin active against L. monocytogenes. Conclusion: For the two medium, results showed that the maximum antilisterial activity was dependent on the target strains of L. monocytogenes. This food grade medium demonstrated to be a potential alternative to grow bacteriocinogenic Lactobacillus at industrial scale.