Shelf life of packaged sliced dry fermented sausage under different temperature.

The aim of this study was to investigate the shelf-life of commercial sliced dry fermented sausage during storage at different temperatures. Different laminate composition was used for vacuum and nitrogen (100% N(2)) packaging. The microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory parameters were analysed during 120 days storage at 4, 22 and 37°C. Packaging materials were analysed for their barrier characteristic (oxygen permeability). Sensory quality limited the shelf-life of sliced dry fermented sausages before the limiting effects of microbial proliferation occurred. Nitrogen atmosphere packaging allowed longer storage (>120 days) than vacuum (95 days) packaged dry fermented sausages at 4°C.