The Effect of K-Lactate Salt and Liquid Smoke on Bacterial Growth in a Model System

The effects of a commercial lactate salt formulation—containing potassium lactate (KL) and potassium acetate (KA)—and liquid smoke (LS) on the growth of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB; <i>Carnobacterium maltaromaticum, Carnobacterium inhibens, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus curvatus</i>, and <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>), fish spoilage bacteria (<i>Photobacterium phosphoreum, Pseudomonas putida</i>, and <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i>), and <i>Listeria innocua</i>, were examined in a tryptic soy broth model system at 20ºC based on BioScreen data. The most pronounced inhibition effect on growth of bacteria was seen in the presence of 6% KL + 0.4% KA, used either combined with LS or alone. Only a minor inhibition effect on growth was found in the presence of LS alone. The only exception was <i>Lactobacillus curvatus</i>, which grew quite well in the presence of LS compared to control medium. The growth of <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> was prevented in 6% KL + 0.4% KA, and significantly inhibited in the presence of 3% KL + 0.2% KA. When <i>V. vulnificus</i> was grown in NaCl, KA, and KL + KA, it was observed that KL + KA had a better inhibition effect than sodium salt within the same concentration range.