Morphological and functional characterization of Carnobacterium maltaromaticum isolated from vacuum-packed beef with long shelf life

The aim of this study was to perform a morphological and functional characterization of a Carnobacterium maltaromaticum strain with a potential bioprotective effect isolated from vacuum packaged long shelf life beef. The morphological, biochemical and enzymatic profiles, the influence of different temperatures and atmospheres, and the microbial stability of fresh beef inoculated with the C. maltaromaticum strain were evaluated. The isolated C. maltaromaticum strain presented similar morphological, biochemical and enzymatic profiles as those of two reference strains (LMG 11393 and LMG 22902). The growth of C. maltaromaticum was slower in an atmosphere containing O2 and CO2. Vacuum packing is therefore suitable for this bacterium. An antimicrobial effect against Enterobacteriaceae was highlighted on inoculated fresh meat stored under N2. The functional characterization of this isolate will be further pursued by a genotypic characterization to better understand its potential bioprotective effect.