2.3.1. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Throughout the 120 h Fermentation

In a first approach, antibacterial activities were tested throughout the length of the five-day fermentation, with *L. monocytogenes* and *Escherichia coli* O157.H7. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determinations were determined using suspensions of *L. monocytogenes* and *Escherichia coli* O157:H7 from overnight cultures, which were prepared in Müller-Hinton Broth medium ((Biokar Diagnostics™ Beauvais, France) adjusted to a final optical density (OD) of 0.12 (2 <sup>×</sup> <sup>10</sup><sup>8</sup> cfu·mL<sup>−</sup>1) [42], read at 546 nm in a spectrophotometer (Boeco S-20, Hamburg, Germany). Further decimal dilutions were made in the same medium to obtain final suspensions of 2 <sup>×</sup> 105 cfu·mL−1. MIC values were assessed in sterile 96-well plates (Greiner Bio-one, Germany), using the micro dilution method of Bouhdid et al. [43]. Plates were incubated for 24 h ± 2 h, at 37 ◦C ± 1 ◦C, and the OD was read at 546 nm (Synergy HT, Biotek, Winooski, VT, USA) in the beginning of the inoculation and at the end of the assay.
