Assessing and enhancing the antimicrobial effect of nisin in soy-seasoned salmon <i>Oncorynchus keta</i> roe using a <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus</i> fermentate and pectin

The compatibility and potential of nisin, a Pediococcus pentosaceus fermentate, and pectin to inhibit Listeria monocytogenes in soy-seasoned salmon roe at 5 and 12°C was studied. The compatibility of nisin and soy-seasoning was assessed by adding 6.3 μg/g of nisin to freshly washed or soy-seasoned (60% soy, 15% sweet-sake, 5% sugar, and 15% water) roe and monitoring the growth of an inoculum of L. monocytogenes (5.6 Log CFU/g; strains IID 578, IID 581, ATCC 7644) as well as residual nisin concentrations at 12°C. The combined antimicrobial potential was determined by monitoring growth of the inoculum (5.2 Log CFU/g) in roe when the soy-seasoning contained nisin (0.05 g/ml), fermentate powder made by freeze-drying a broth culture of P. pentosaceus (0.1 g/ml), and 2% pectin at 5 or 12°C. Chloride content, total acid content, and the effect of pectin on acceptability of roe were also determined. Nisin was more effective in soy-seasoned roe than in freshly washed roe. Microbial growth was completely inhibited by a combination of soy-seasoning, nisin, the fermentate, and pectin. Despite its viscosity, pectin did not significantly affect the chemical properties or acceptability of roe relative to pectin-free roe samples ( P < 0.05). Based on these results, we conclude that nisin’s potential as an antimicrobial agent in soy-seasoned roe can be enhanced using fermentates and pectin.