Dry fermented sausages made with a protease from Aspergillus oryzae and/or a starter culture.

Sausages with a starter culture (Lactobacillus plantarum + Staphylococcus carnosus), a protease (Fungal Protease from Solvay Enzymes) and both enzyme/starter were produced from the same raw matter under the same conditions for 15 days of ripening. The lowest pH values were found in Fungal/starter sausages. Significantly higher amounts of free amino acids (FAA) were seen in sausages containing enzyme from the 3rd day of ripening, whereas amino acids from peptides (PAA) were significantly higher only after 15 days of ripening. Enzyme addition gave rise to changes in 10 of the 15 FAA analyzed. Histidine was the main amino acid from the peptide fraction that increased in both sausages containing added enzyme. Although trained panelists detected some sensorial benefits in the sausages with added enzyme, the effects were not as marked as might have been expected.