The effect of an autochthonous starter culture developed by oleuropeinolytic strains belonging to the Lactobacillus
plantarum group on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics and the biophenol content
of table olives fermented under reduced salt conditions was studied. Black (cv. Kalamata) and green (cv.
Chalkidikis) olives were fermented in two different kinds of brine (Brine A containing 2.3% NaCl, 32.3 mM Caacetate
and 33.9 mM Ca-lactate and Brine B containing 4% NaCl, pH 5.0 in both brines). The sensory attributes
of olives fermented by oleuropeinolytic starter culture assessed by a trained panel did not differ significantly
compared with industrial processing. It is possible to carry out significant changes in table olive processing applying
a completely microbiological procedure using oleuropeinolytic strains of the L. plantarum group as both the
debittering and the fermentation agent in order to achieve improved sensorial and nutritional characteristics
of the final product. Table olives processed by the suggested methodology may constitute a good source of
biophenols in the diet, especially hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. The inactivation potential of Escherichia coli O157
EDL-932 and Listeriamonocytogenes Scott A in olives fermented by oleuropeinolytic starter culturewas evaluated.
The population of each pathogen in olive homogenates of both cultivars is inactivated bymore than 6 log CFU/ml
in less than 24 h.Whenwhole fermented olives were submerged in peptone/saline (containing 6.7 log CFU/ml of
the relevant bacterial pathogen) for 30 min followed by rinsing in distilled water, the population of viable
foodborne pathogens dropped more than 4 logs in olive pulp. During subsequent storage at 22 or 4 °C the
population of L. monocytogenes Scott A was further eliminated under the detection limit in both olive cultivars
whereas the population of E. coli O157 EDL-932 could be detected in olives stored in peptone/saline at 22 °C
for 7 days. The inhibitory effect of olives fermented by oleuropeinolytic starter culture in reduced salt brines
on pathogens is due to the antimicrobial activity of the phenolic compounds and the antagonistic action of the
associated microflora.