Chemical Safety and Quality Attributes of Dried Sausage Snacks Stored in Modified Atmosphere

Abstract

A sausage snack was produced by air blast drying of cottage sausage, and its safety and quality were investigated during 10-week storage period in a modified atmosphere (20% CO2/80% N2) at 4 ± 1 °C and 20 ± 1 °C. The results of a sensory and instrumental evaluation of colour and texture showed that significantly greater changes in these parameters were caused by drying the sausage rather than during subsequent storage of the produced snacks. Although total viable count increased and reached a maximum value of 6.5 log CFU g−1 after 70 days of storage at 20 ± 1 °C, Enterobacteriaceae were not detected. The histamine level was approx. 18 mg kg-1, while the average content of the other biogenic amines after 70 days of storage ranged from 4.4 mg kg-1 (cadaverine) to 32.1 mg kg-1 (tyramine). The biogenic amine index was small and varied from 34.5 mg kg-1 (in the sausage before drying) to 73.4 mg kg-1 (at the end of the snack storage at 20 ± 1 °C). The lipid hydrolysis and oxidation proceeded slowly and did not pose a threat to the product quality. The combination of drying and modified atmosphere packaging maintains good quality and safety of sausage snack during 70 days at refrigerated storage and/or 4 weeks at room temperature.

Innovative Applications of Tenebrio molitor Larvae in the Production of Sustainable Meat Sausages: Quality and Safety Aspects

“…Most analyzed samples, including the control (SC) and all SF and SD samples except SD30, had pH values from 6.29 to 6.68, within or near the optimal range, indicating generally favorable qualities based on pH (Table 2). Majcherczyk et al analyzed the chemical safety and quality attributes of dried sausages and investigated that the pH of the sausage obtained was slightly acidic (pH 6.12 ± 0.007); thus, our results are closer to the neutral medium [55]. The SD30 sample had a noticeably lower pH, which could influence its characteristics, possibly making it more prone to having a firmer texture and potentially offering an additional microbial stability benefit, but it may also impact flavor and color differently from those with a pH closer to the optimal range [56].…”