Meat starter cultures are “ preparations
which contain living or resting microorganisms that develop the desired metabolic
activity in the meat” (Hammes 1996 ).
Inoculation of the sausage batter with a
starter culture composed of selected LAB
(i.e., homofermentative lactobacilli and/or
pediococci) and GCC+ (i.e., nonpathogenic,
coagulase - negative staphylococci and/or
kocuriae) improves the quality and safety
of the fi nal product and standardizes the production process (Campbell - Platt and Cook
1995 ; Hugas and Monfort 1997 ; L ü cke 1998,
2000 ; H ü fner and Hertel 2008 ; Talon et al.
2008 ).