Does the application of a protective microbial culture influence the quality of cooked fish sausages?

In this study, meat from freshly slaughtered African sharptooth catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) was used to assess whether the technological application of a protective microbial culture (PMC) could influence the quality and hygienic evaluation of a model fish meat product. The fillets were processed into cooked fish sausages prepared either from freshly killed fish (F – fresh meat) or from meat stored for 3 days at 2 °C (S – stored meat). Each of these two variants was further divided into subgroups according to the application of a commercially available protective culture ( Pediococcus acidilactici , P) or without it (control, C), resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Significant differences ( P < 0.05) were observed only in texture indicators of sausages prepared from stored fish meat. However, the application of PMC had no significant effect ( P > 0.05) on the microbiological or overall quality indicators of fish meat and cooked sausages.