Abstract

Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) bacteria is generally recognized as safe and widely used in the food industry. The current study aimed to study the antimicrobial effects of L. plantarum against some food poisoning microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in oriental fermented chicken sausage for 18 days of storage at 4ᵒC. The L. plantarum has broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects that enhance the quality and safety of food products. L. plantarum reduced the count of S. aureus, B. cerus, and E. coli to 1.54, 4.26, and 3.03 Log10, respectively, after 18 days of refrigerated storage. Moreover, there were significant effects of L. plantarum on pH, thiobarbituric acid, total volatile basic nitrogen, and sensory attributes of fermented sausage samples during storage time. It was revealed that L. plantarum enhanced the physic-chemical, sensory attributes, and shelf life of fermented chicken sausage. Moreover, L. plantarum inhibited the inoculated food poisoning bacteria in fermented chicken sausage. In conclusion, it is recommended to use L. plantarum in fermented meat products as a starter and a bio-preservative to enhance the quality of the fermented chicken sausage.