What they saw was an explosive growth in the starter bacteria, to the exclusion of almost any other type. Very soon, they began to produce molecules that are usually made later on in the fermentation process, suggesting that having little competition had perhaps allowed them to jump the gun. In contrast, a rainbow of species cropped up more gradually in the other salami, generating a correspondingly more complex — and apparently more pleasant — array of scent and flavor molecules.

Even worse, the microbes in the industrial starter were pumping out acetic acid, the key ingredient in vinegar. That’s not a flavor Italian salami aficionados look for: “If you have these notes that are strong in your product,” Dr. Cocolin said, “it’s not good.”

This doesn’t mean that the starter culture needs to be totally revamped, he said. A small change in the procedure may be enough to get better results: In these salami, the dominance of the starter bacteria and their tendency to produce acid could perhaps have been controlled by lowering the temperature, he suggests. If they were kept in a space that was a little cooler, the bacteria would grow more slowly, perhaps allowing a few other species to find a niche in the sausage and toning down the breakneck pace of acid production.

Still, the idea of a more tailored approach — perhaps using microbes captured from the wild to get a better flavor — is tantalizing. In fact, identifying bacteria for a starter for artisanal Piedmontese salami will be part of the researchers’ next project.