| Summary: | Olives debittering, organoleptic quality and safety can be improved with yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LABs) selected strain starters, that allow for better fermentation control with respect to natural fermentation. Two selected killer yeasts (<i>Wickerhamomyces anomalus</i> and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>) and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> strains were tested for olive (cv. <i>Leccino</i>) fermentation to compare different starter combinations and strategies; the aim was to assess their potential in avoiding pretreatments and the use of excessive salt in the brines and preservatives. Lactobacilli, yeasts, molds, <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> and total aerobic bacteria were detected, as well as pH, soluble sugars, alcohols, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and rheological properties of olives. Sugars were rapidly consumed in the brines and olives; the pH dropped quickly, then rose until neutrality after six months. The oleuropein final levels in olives were unaffected by the treatments. The use of starters did not improve the LABs’ growth nor prevent the growth of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> and molds. The growth of undesirable microorganisms could have been induced by the availability of selective carbon source such as mannitol, whose concentration in olive trees rise under drought stress. The possible role of climate change on the quality and safety of fermented foods should be furtherly investigated. The improvement of olives’ nutraceutical value can be induced by yeasts and LABs starters due to the higher production of hydroxytyrosol.
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