Inhibition of ochratoxigenic moulds by Debaryomyces hansenii strains for biopreservation of dry-cured meat products

• Anti-mould activity of Debaryomyces hansenii from dry-cured ham has been analysed.
• D. hansenii inhibited growth and germination of ochratoxigenic moulds in vitro.
• D. hansenii FHSCC 253H affected growth of an ochratoxigenic mould in dry-cured ham.
• Ochratoxin A accumulation was reduced by D. hansenii FHSCC 253H in cured ham slices.
• D. hansenii is potentially suitable as an anti-mould agent in cured meat products.

The ability of the osmotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii to inhibit Penicillium nordicum, the most common ochratoxigenic mould encountered in dry-cured meat products, was evaluated. The antagonistic effect of ten D. hansenii strains isolated from dry-cured ham was screened in vitro using malt extract media and meat extract peptone media with the water activity (aw) adjusted to 0.97 and 0.90. A significant inhibition of the two tested P. nordicum strains by D. hansenii cells and cell-free supernatants was observed. At 0.97 aw, increasing D. hansenii inoculum concentrations significantly improved the inhibition of mould growth on solid medium, whereas at 0.90 aw this was not always the case. As observed by bright field microscopy, most D. hansenii strains were able to delay P. nordicum spore germination when co-cultured in malt extract broth. D. hansenii FHSCC 253H showed the highest overall in vitro inhibition of ochratoxigenic mould growth, and was therefore chosen for co-cultivation assays in dry-cured ham slices incubated at 0.94 and 0.84 aw simulating ham ripening. Regardless of the experimental conditions tested, lower levels of the inoculated P. nordicum strain were detected in co-cultivation batches compared with batches without D. hansenii. The highest level of mould growth inhibition was observed in batches at 0.94 aw. Ochratoxin A (OTA) production in ham samples was detected by HPLC-MS. Co-culturing of P. nordicum with D. hansenii FHSCC 253H resulted in lower OTA levels compared with control samples without D. hansenii. The decrease of the mycotoxin presence due to D. hansenii FHSCC 253H was more efficient at 0.94 aw (OTA was below the detection limit). In conclusion, D. hansenii is potentially suitable as a biopreservative agent for preventing ochratoxigenic mould growth and OTA accumulation in dry-cured meat products. The inoculation of D. hansenii should be made at the beginning of processing (at the end of post salting) when the aw of the product is still high (near 0.94). This action in addition to application of appropriate hygienic actions and control of temperature and relative humidity throughout ripening is required to reduce health risks due to OTA exposure.