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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1968 July; 16(7): 1029-1035
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bloater Formation by Gas-forming Lactic Acid Bacteria in Cucumber Fermentations¹

U.S. Food Fermentation Laboratory, Southern Utilization Research and Development Division, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
the Departments of Food Science and Microbiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607

ABSTRACT

The formation of "bloaters" (hollow stock) in cucumbers brined for salt-stock purposes at 5 to 10% salt has been associated with gaseous fermentation caused chiefly by yeasts. Recently, serious early bloater damage, not attributable to yeasts, has been observed in commercial-scale experiments on control of bloaters in overnight dill pickles brined in 50-gal barrels at 3.0 to 4.5% salt. Growth of fermentative species of yeasts was effectively controlled by the addition of 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1% sorbic acid or its sodium salt. In contrast to this, the fermenting brines showed extremely high populations of acid-forming bacteria, identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, and Pediococcus cerevisiae. The gas-forming species (i.e., L. brevis) constituted a high proportion of the total populations. Representative isolates from 36 barrels of overnight dill pickles were tested for their ability to produce bloaters in 1-quart jars of pasteurized cucumbers equilibrated at 4 to 5% salt, 0.25% lactic acid, and pH 4.0. Bloaters, identical with those made by yeast cultures, were produced in all jars inoculated with L. brevis. No bloaters were produced by L. plantarum and P. cerevisiae. These results suggest that the control of bloater damage in cucumber fermentations, particularly at low salt concentrations, may necessitate inhibition of gas-forming lactic acid bacteria.

² Present address: National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. 20550.

¹ Paper no. 2617 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh.