Use of Air-Protected Headspace to Prevent Yeast Film Formation on the Brine of Leccino and Taggiasca Black Table Olives Processed in Industrial-Scale Plastic Barrels

The formation of yeast film on the brine of black table olives during fermentation in plastic barrels on an industrial-scale could be critical for the quality of the product. In order to prevent the formation of yeast film on the brine surface, a structural modified industrial barrel, which excludes oxygen from the headspace, was tested. Tests carried out during two years indicated that the yeast film contamination reached the maximum values at eight months of fermentation, equal to 19% and 24% respectively, for the Taggiasca and Leccino olives, processed in unmodified industrial plastic barrels. No yeast films formed on brines from the same varieties of olives processed in the modified plastic barrels. The brines of both varieties of olives processed in the industrial barrels displayed three dominant yeast species, while five species were detected in the brines from the modified barrels. Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Pichia manshurica were the main producers of yeast films. However, P. manshurica unlike the other yeasts, has shown also a biotype unable to produce films on the brine of the olives. The brines of Leccino and Taggiasca processed in the modified barrels, compared to the control, showed a higher titratable acidity and a higher concentration of CO(2) useful to prevent the yeast film formation.