Ecology of lactic acid bacteria and coagulase negative cocci in fermented dry sausages manufactured in Italy and other Mediterranean countries: an overview

Most European fermented dry sausages still follow the traditional procedures in which fermentation and ripening depend on the activities of heterogeneous microbial communities, largely dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) whose contribution primarily relies on the production of organic acids and volatile compounds, and coagulase negative cocci (CNC), which are responsible for colour development and stabilisation, proteolysis, lipolysis, and decomposition of free amino acids and peroxides. This review summarises the studies concerning the structure of these two microbial communities in Mediterranean traditional fermented sausages. Overall a high microbial complexity was highlighted, although several common features emerged: LAB are more numerous than CNC during fermentation and ripening, remaining more stable in the ripened products. Within LAB, facultatively heterofermentative lactobacilli generally prevail and, among them, the two psychrotrophic species Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus curvatus are dominant. Within CNC, Staphylococcus xylosus neatly dominates, except in the Greek and French sausages.