The meat isolate Pediococcus pentosaceus, characterized as P. pentosaceus Mees 1934, produces a bacteriocin which was characterized in this study. The molecule was found to have the pediocin characteristics (with respect to N-terminal sequence and the presence of the characteristic consensus motif -YGNGV-), a molecular mass of 5.370 Da, and was designated as pediocin SM-1. The new bacteriocin is inhibitory to several food spoilage and food-born pathogens, shows a remarkable stability to heat and cold treatments, as well as to a wide pHs range, but it appears to be sensitive to proteases. Its mode of action appears to be bactericidal. Fermentation studies carried out in a stirred tank bioreactor revealed that semi-aerobic conditions (60% dissolved oxygen saturation) enhance production and fermentation rate analysis indicate primary metabolite kinetics for growth under the particular conditions. Pediocin SM-1, produced by a food-grade microorganism, exhibits the characteristics of a potential biopreservative and can be efficiently produced by fermentation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.