Use of Bean Sprout Enterobacteriaceae Isolates as Biological Control Agents of Pseudomonas Fluorescens

January/February 2004

Journal of Food Science Vol. 69, Issue 1

ABSTRACT: Bean sprouts were cultivated under in vitro conditions as a model system to study the mechanism of bacteria-mediated spoilage in bean sprouts. Pseudomonas fluorescens, or Erwinia spp., were inoculated onto sprouts at several stages during cultivation. Five strains of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the native microflora of sprouts prevented Pseudomonas-mediated spoilage by co-inoculating these cultures on seeds that were soaking in water. The population of P. fluorescens in co-inoculated liquid medium culture with a strain (B1) decreased slightly. The results indicated that the Enterobacteriaceae isolates tested played an important role in preventing Pseudomonas-mediated spoilage by growing competitively with P. fluorescens.