The Effect of Nitrate and Nitrite on the Microbial Flora of Wiltshire Bacon after Maturation and Vacuum‐packed Storage

Abstract

Unsmoked Wiltshire bacon was produced with and without nitrate and with different concentrations of nitrite. Micrococci, Moraxella spp. and Moraxella‐like organisms were the most common bacteria on the bacon after maturation when there was little difference between the microflora of the various back bacon. Collar bacon cured without nitrate carried much higher numbers of Moraxella spp. than that cured with nitrate. Micrococci and lactic acid bacteria usually predominated after vacuum‐packed storage. Inclusion of nitrate in the cure increased the numbers of micrococci but did not reduce stability on storage. The highest numbers of lactic acid bacteria were present on bacon containing the lowest initial concentration of nitrite (34 parts/106) and it is thought that nitrite may delay the souring which these bacteria cause in vacuum‐packed bacon.

The microbiology and storage stability of vacuum packed lamb

“…Thirty isolates taken at random from the lowest countable d i l u t m on the PCA + 1 % NaCl plates from selected joints were identified as dfxribed by Shaw & Harding (1978) to determine the predominant bacteria.…”