Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v as starter culture suppresses Enterobacteriaceae more efficiently than spontaneous fermentation of carrots

Abstract Fermentation, especially spontaneous fermentation, has become from an ancient food preservation method to a stylish cooking trend in very recent years. Accordingly, the associated food safety should be revisited, particularly since inexperienced people increasingly performing spontaneous fermentation on an ad hoc basis. In this study, three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were tested. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v at high initial inoculation levels (>6 log CFU/mL brine water) effectively eliminated Salmonella spiked in a carrot fermentation system from 4.6 ± 0.2 log CFU/mL to