Giulia Tabanelli1, Eleonora Bargossi2, Aldo Gardini3, Rosalba Lanciotti1,2, Rudy Magnani4, Fausto Gardini1,2, Chiara Montanari1. 1. Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Agroalimentare, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena, (FC), Italy. 2. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena, (FC), Italy. 3. Dipartimento di Scienze statistiche "Paolo Fortunati", Via delle Belle Arti 41, 40126 Bologna, Italy. 4. C.l.a.i. Soc. Coop., Via Gambellara, 62, 40026 Imola, (BO), Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to study the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of 10 Italian fermented sausages, produced industrially, in order to highlight the differences in relation to their size. The sausages were classified as small, medium and large and the data concerning every feature considered were analysed with some statistical explorative tools: ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). RESULTS: Significant differences in relation to the sausage size were found regarding microbial populations (in particular, enterobacteria and staphylococci). The pH was higher in the small sausages, and consequently the presence of lactate and acetate was higher in the bigger one. Also the biogenic amine content (particularly tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine) was influenced by the size. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the extreme variability of the sausage types at the end of ripening, this work showed that it was possible to find a strict relationship between sausages diameter and some essential physico-chemical parameters. Thus, the cross-sectional size of the product is an essential parameter, which can drive the biochemical processes during ripening, not only by affecting the kinetics of water losses, but also by influencing the microbiota enzymatic activity.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to study the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of 10 Italian fermented sausages, produced industrially, in order to highlight the differences in relation to their size. The sausages were classified as small, medium and large and the data concerning every feature considered were analysed with some statistical explorative tools: ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). RESULTS: Significant differences in relation to the sausage size were found regarding microbial populations (in particular, enterobacteria and staphylococci). The pH was higher in the small sausages, and consequently the presence of lactate and acetate was higher in the bigger one. Also the biogenic amine content (particularly tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine) was influenced by the size. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the extreme variability of the sausage types at the end of ripening, this work showed that it was possible to find a strict relationship between sausages diameter and some essential physico-chemical parameters. Thus, the cross-sectional size of the product is an essential parameter, which can drive the biochemical processes during ripening, not only by affecting the kinetics of water losses, but also by influencing the microbiota enzymatic activity.