This work shows that some of the strains belonging to the
species most frequently used in the manufacture of dairy products can produce BA, highlighting the importance of
adequately selecting indigenous strains for inclusion in
starter and adjunct cultures. The prevalence of putrescine producing
strains (which use the AGDI pathway) is noteworthy.
The literature contains little on this, even though
putrescine is one of the commonest BA in dairy products
and the AGDI pathway is the main route of its synthesis.
Tests for the presence of the AGDI pathway should be
included when examining the BA production capability
in dairy strains. As shown in this work, the capacity to
produce BA can be tested by either chromatographic or
molecular methods, although PCR testing affords many
advantages.