MICROBIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF DACIA SAUSAGE, A DRY CURED ROMANIAN SAUSAGE
ANA MARIA SIMION CIUCIU 1*, JAVIER CARBALLO 2, PETRU ALEXE 3 1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, “Dunărea de Jos” University, 111 Domnească Street, 800201, Galaţi, Romania
2. Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain
3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi, Romania
*Corresponding author: ana.simion@ugal.ro
Selected starter cultures were used to produce the traditional Romanian dry cured sausage, Dacia. A control sausage was produced without starter culture (sausage A), one with L. sakei CECT 5964 and S. equorum SA25 (sausage B) and one with L. sakei CECT 5964, S. equorum SA25 and L. acidophilus CECT 903 (sausage C). Samples from each batch of sausages were taken at 0 (mix before stuffing), and after 2, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of ripening. Counts of total aerobic mesophilic flora, lactic acid bacteria, salt tolerant flora, and Enterobacteriaceae and some physical-chemical parameters (moisture, NaCl, pH and aw values) were determined. High microbial counts (log CFU) were observed with values at the end of ripening period: for lactic acid bacteria 9.77 (A), 11.47 (B) and 11.19 (C); for total aerobic mesophilic flora 9.89 (A), 11.38 (B) and 11.30 (C); for salt tolerant flora 4.45 (A), 5.31 (B) and 5.27 (C). The starter cultures had a significant inhibitory effect on Enterobacteriaceae counts (log CFU), values at the end of ripening period being 1.32 (A), 0.33 (B) and not detected (C). A significant decrease in the pH values is observed until the seventh day of ripening, showing a slight, but progressive increase after the 14th day of ripening. Results show that the production and ripening process in a pilot scale chamber under controlled conditions contributes in obtaining safe and homogeneous products.
