Jerked beef - JB - is a sun-dried, salted and cured meat product, derived from charqui. There are few studies about JB in the literature, as in charqui. Staphylococcus spp has been reported to be the predominant microrganism present in JB. The presence of this genus reveals a possible hazard for S. aureus growth. Two staphilococci strains commonly used as starter in fermented meat products have been employed with the purpose to inhibiting S. aureus either through competitive action or through the production of bacteriocins. The results demonstrated the inhibition S. aureus growth, probably through a competitive action, as they grow better in the medium. These starters have not produced any inhibitory compound. These informations led us to conclude that it is possible to improve the safety and quality standardization of JB through appropriate starter cultures.
Staphylococcus aureus; charqui; jerked beef; technology; starter cultures; sanity
