Safety and technological issues of dry fermented sausages produced without nitrate and nitrite. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tabanelli, Giulia; Barbieri, Federica; Soglia, Francesca; Magnani, Rudy; Gardini, Gabriele; Petracci, Massimiliano; Gardini, Fausto; Montanari, Chiara
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 160(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Fermented sausages -- Nitrate -- Nitrite -- Microbial safety -- Starter cultures -- Clean label; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111685
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Nitrate/nitrite elimination requires technological changes to produce high quality salamis. Ripening temperature was lowered for guaranteeing microbiological safety. Higher concentrations of bioprotective starter cultures were adopted. Low sugar concentration allowed to obtain better textural features and lower oxidation level. Salamis were challenged with Listeria innocua, Salmonella enterica and Clostridium botulinum. Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility to industrially produce fermented sausages without the addition of nitrate and nitrite. Indeed, despite their antimicrobial effect and multiple technological roles, an increasing pressure for their removal has recently raised. To achieve this goal while maintaining an acceptable final product quality, we deeply modified the whole process, that was carried out at 10–15 °C ( i.e., temperatures lower than traditional Mediterranean products) and by using bioprotective starter cultures at high concentrations (7 log CFU/g) to lead the fermentation. Different glucose amounts (0.2 or 0.4 % w/w) were also tested to optimize the process. The results showed no significant differences between the control (with nitrate/nitrite) and the sausages without preservatives in terms of aw (value range 0.908–0.914), weight loss (about 38% in all samples), lactic acid bacteria (value range 8.1–8.3 log CFU/g) and coagulase negative cocci (value range 6.8–7.1 log CFU/g). The amount of sugar affected the final characteristics of sausages. Indeed, in the absence of curing salts, lower sugar concentration resulted in better textural features (reduced hardness and gumminess) and lower oxidation (TBARS values 0.80 vs. 1.10 mg MDA/kg of meat product in samples with 0.2% or 0.4% of glucose, respectively). Finally, challenge tests evidenced the inability of selected strains of Listeria innocua, Salmonella enterica sub. enterica and Clostridium botulinum to grow, under the adopted conditions, in fermented sausages. This research highlighted that nitrate/nitrite removal from these meat products requires accurate technological changes to guarantee the final quality.