| heal.abstract |
The microbiological changes in relation to changes in pH, moisture, salt and nitrite content of four batches of Creek country-style sausage during manufacture followed by storage at 3 degrees and 12 degrees C in air were studied. Results showed that certain processing stages of the traditional manufacturing method, such as aging of the meat and drying of the sausages by ventilation followed by smoking at 25 degrees-40 degrees C, favoured lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to exceed 10(8) cfu/g and acidify the product. However, the growth rate of LAB and, accordingly, the acidification rate varied significantly among batches due to differences in the initial LAB numbers and possible variations in the prevalent types of LAB. In samples where LAB failed to predominate during manufacture, Gram-negative bacteria increased during storage at 12 degrees C, but not at 3 degrees C. Staphylococci grew to a level of 10(6) cfu/g in samples stored at 12 degrees C, however, Staphylococcus aureus remained below 10(3) cfu/g in all samples. In most samples, yeasts increased to a level of 10(7) cfu/g with prolonged storage and caused an increase in pH, mainly at 12 degrees C. Yeasts formed of odours associated with spoilage of sausages. The shelf-life of samples stored at 3 degrees C was at least 6 weeks. At 12 degrees C samples spoiled in less than 2 weeks, as spoilage was accelerated by surface-growing moulds. It was concluded that chilling increased the shelf-life of country-style sausage stored in air at least four-fold. |
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