Abstract
The effect of a nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis spp. lactis (L. lactis) on the growth and attachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Brie 1 on stainless steel and their growth in Brain Heart Infusion broth was determined. Viable cells of Listeria decreased rapidly after 9~12 hr of incubation at $21^{\circ}C$ and after 6~9 hr of incubation at $32^{\circ}C$ in the presence of L. lactis. The number of L. monocytogenes Scott A attached to stainless steel in pure culture was $2.5{\times}10^3/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}2.3{\times}10^3/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$ after 48 hr of incubation, but was only $10/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}1.1{\times}10/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$ in the presence of L. lactis. Results from L. monocytogenes strain Brie 1 were similar to those from strain Scott A. The population of L. monocytogenes Scott A which attached to stainless steel with previously adherent L. lactis was $1.8{\times}10^2/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}8.2{\times}10^2/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$, whereas the population attached to sterile stainless steel was $1.2{\times}10^3/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}2.1{\times}10^2/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$. For L. monocytogenes Brie 1, the attached population of the control was $1.6{\times}10^4/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}3.2{\times}10^2/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$, and on stainless steel with adherent L. lactis, it was $1.1{\times}10/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}21^{\circ}C{\;}and{\;}6.9{\times}10/\textrm{cm}^2{\;}at{\;}32^{\circ}C$. Surface adherent L. lactis was less inhibitory to attachment of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel than a liquid culture inoculum. Listeria attached to stainless steel survived dry storage for 20 days both in the presence and absence of adherent lactococci.