The microflora on spoiled cold-smoked salmon often consists of a mixture of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Gram-negative bacteria. To elucidate the role of the different groups, a storage trial was carried out in which nisin and CO2 were used for the selective inhibition of the two bacterial groups. The shelf-life of vacuum-packed cold-smoked salmon, recorded by sensory evaluation, was four weeks at 5 degrees C and the microflora was composed of LAB (10(6)-10(7) cfu/g) with an associate Gram-negative flora in varying levels (10(5)-10(7) cfu/g). The addition of nisin and/or a CO2-atmosphere increased the shelf-life to five or six weeks and limited the level of LAB to about 10(4)-10(6), 10(3)-10(6) and 10(2)-10(4) cfu/g, respectively. CO2-atmosphere +/- nisin inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, whereas nisin had no effect on these in vacuum packages. The Gram-negative flora on vacuum-packed salmon was dominated by a Vibrio sp., resembling V. marinus, Enterobacteriaceae (Enterobacter agglomerans, Serratia liquefaciens and Rahnella aquatilis) and occasionally Aeromonas hydrophila. Irrespective of the addition of nisin and/or CO2-atmosphere, the LAB microflora was dominated by Carnobacterium piscicola, which was found to account for 87% of the 255 LAB isolates characterized. Whole-cell-protein patterns analysed by SDS-PAGE confirmed the Carnobacterium species identification. The spoilage potential of C. piscicola isolates was further studied by inoculation of approx. 10(6) cfu/g in cold-smoked salmon stored at 5 degrees C. The salmon did not spoil within 4 weeks of storage in vacuum- or CO2-atmosphere, and it is concluded that despite high levels (> 10(7) cfu/g) of C. piscicola, sensory rejection was caused by autolytic changes. This was supported by the development of soft texture and sour, rancid and bitter off-flavours at the point of spoilage, irrespective of the length of shelf-life and low or high total counts of LAB and Gram-negative bacteria.