Survival and growth of lactic acid bacteria in hot smoked dry sausages (non-fermented salami) with and without sensory deviations

Smoked sausages of bovine meat produced in North Macedonia as a source of pro-technological lactic acid bacteria and coagulase-negative cocci

Smoked bovine sausages, traditional meat products from the Balkan Peninsula, are rich in microbial diversity and represent potential sources of pro-technological microorganisms. This study aimed to characterize these sausages from three different producers collected in green markets of North Macedonia. The analyses included physico-chemical (proximate composition, pH, aw), morpho-textural (color and texture), and microbiological assessments (viable plate counts). Moreover, an isolation campaign was conducted to identify and characterize pro-technological microorganisms. Significant variability was observed in moisture content (ranging from 33.70 to 48.61 %), hardness, and color among samples from different producers. Samples from producer 2 showed the lowest pH (mean ∼4.90) and the highest loads of lactic acid bacteria (up to ∼9 log cfu g-1). Coagulase-negative cocci ranged between 4.84 and 7.47 log cfu g-1. No potential pathogenic bacteria were detected. A total of 30 isolates, primarily Latilactobacillus sakei, Staphylococcus equorum, and Staphylococcus casei, were identified. Isolates of L. sakei S7, S13, and S27 showed strong in-vitro acidification performance, together with the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), and protease activity. S. equorum isolates S1 and S2 exhibited protease and lipase activities, while isolates S. casei S21 and S28 showed notable lipase and protease activities, along with the production of EPS. Additionally, all S. equorum isolates, except S2, showed nitrate reductase activity, one of the key features able to affect sausage color. These findings highlighted the pro-technological traits of these microbial isolates, suggesting their potential use as starter or adjunct cultures in the meat industry to enhance product quality and safety.

Impact of Refrigerated Storage on Microbial Growth, Color Stability, and pH of Turkey Thigh Muscles

The quality of poultry meat offered to the consumer depends mainly on the level of hygiene during all stages of its production, storage time, and temperature. This study investigated the effect of refrigerated storage on the microbiological contamination, color, and pH of turkey thigh muscles stored at 1 °C over six days. Microbial growth, including total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae, significantly increased, impacting the meat's sensory attributes and safety. On the 6th day of meat storage, the content of total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae was 1.82 × 107 CFU/g, 1.00 × 104 CFU/g, and 1.87 × 105 CFU/g, respectively. The stability of color was assessed by quantifying the total heme pigments, comparing myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin concentrations, analyzing color parameters L*, a*, b*, and the sensory assessment of surface color, showing a decline in total heme pigments, three myoglobin forms, redness (a*) and lightness (L*). In contrast, yellowness (b*) increased. These changes were correlated with the growth of spoilage microorganisms that influenced the meat's pigmentation and pH, with a notable rise in pH associated with microbial metabolization. Based on the conducted research, it was found that the maximum storage time of turkey thigh muscles at a temperature of 1 °C is 4 days. On the 4th day of storage, the total mesophilic aerobe content was 3.5 × 105 CFU/g. This study underscores the critical need for maintaining controlled refrigeration conditions to mitigate spoilage, ensuring food safety, and preserving turkey meat's sensory and nutritional qualities. There is a need for further research to improve turkey meat storage techniques under specific temperature conditions by studying the impact of using varying packaging materials (with different barrier properties) or the application of natural preservatives. Additionally, future studies could focus on evaluating the effectiveness of cold chain management practices to ensure the quality and safety of turkey products during storage. By addressing these research gaps, practitioners and researchers can contribute to developing more efficient and sustainable turkey meat supply chains, which may help mitigate food wastage by safeguarding the quality and safety of the meat.

Effect of Differentiated Relative Humidity of Air on the Quality of Traditional Speciality Guaranteed “Krakowska Sucha Staropolska Sausage”

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of air relative humidity (RH: 60 and 80%) during the drying process of “krakowska sucha staropolska” (KSS) sausages on selected quality characteristics. The composition and production process of KSS sausages complied the requirements of traditional specialities guaranteed. It was found that the use of lower RH of drying air allowed a time reduction of 20%. Lowering the RH of air during the drying process did not affect the cross-sectional colour and odour of the sausages, colour components, TBARS values, protein, fat and salt content. However, the acceleration of the drying process resulted in very dried outer layers and less dry interior of KSS sausages. As a result, the sausages had lower scores in the sensory evaluation of hardness and overall acceptability. For this reason, shortening the drying process of sausages by using air with lower relative humidity is not recommended.

Mapping the dominant microbial species diversity at expiration date of raw meat and processed meats from equine origin, an underexplored meat ecosystem, in the Belgian retail

Although equine meats and their derived smoked or fermented products are popular in some regions of the world, they only form a minor fraction of the global meat consumption. The latter may explain why their associated bacterial communities have not received much attention. In the present study, 69 different samples of equine meats and meat products were investigated. The samples consisted of raw meat from horses (17 samples) and zebra (7), as well as non-fermented but smoked (24) and fermented (21) horse meat products. After purchase, all samples were stored at 4 °C and analysed at expiration date. Besides an estimation of the total microbial counts, specific attention was paid to the identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and catalase-positive cocci, in particular the group of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), involved, due to their technological relevance in view of the elaboration of meat products. Samples that were loosely wrapped in butcher paper instead of vacuum- or modified-atmosphere packages were also screened for pseudomonads and enterobacterial species. In total, 1567 bacterial isolates were collected, subjected to (GTG)₅-PCR fingerprinting of genomic DNA, and identified by multiple gene sequencing (based on the 16S rRNA, pheS, rpoA, rpoB, and/or tuf genes). Overall, the bacterial species diversity consisted mostly of LAB but was contingent on the type of product. Raw meat was dominated by Carnobacterium divergens, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactococcus piscium, and Leuconostoc gelidum, with zebra meat being particularly rich in lactococci. Smoked and fermented horse meat products contained mostly Lb. sakei and, to a lesser degree, Lactobacillus curvatus. In addition, several catalase-positive cocci (mostly Staphylococcus equorum), Anoxybacillus sp., Brevibacterium sp., Brochothrix thermosphacta, and the enterobacterial species Hafnia alvei were found.

Consumers' willingness to pay for reprocessed fried chicken: A way of reducing uneaten food

Substantial food loss and waste occur worldwide; approximately one third of produced food is lost or wasted annually, which worsens problems such as starvation and environmental degradation. This study examines the possibility of selling reprocessed meat products made from raw meat near its sell-by date, using Japanese fried chicken as an example. If reprocessed products are accepted by consumers, this will significantly contribute to reducing food waste in grocery stores. Because reprocessing does not require a reduction in current meat consumption, selling reprocessed foods is a more feasible and realistic way to reduce food waste compared to other initiatives, such as "Meat Free Monday." We use a choice experiment to elicit consumer preference for reprocessed fried chicken. Our results show that the willingness to pay for reprocessed fried chicken is above 90% of that of regular chicken, which implies a high feasibility of selling such products.

The Effect of Drying Parameters on the Quality of Pork and Poultry-Pork Kabanosy Produced according to the Traditional Specialties Guaranteed Recipe

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of differentiated air relative humidity during the drying process on selected quality features of TSG (traditional specialties guaranteed) pork and poultry-pork kabanosy. After heat treatment and 24-hour cooling at 4–6°C, the products were placed in three chambers at 15°C with differentiated air relative humidity: 60, 70, and 80%, respectively. The drying process was carried out until all variants of kabanosy achieved the required final yield of the product (<68%). Color components, water activity and shear force, water, protein, fat, and salt content, and the TBARS indicator values were determined. The drying process might be shortened (~50%) by a reduction of humidity in the drying chamber from 80 to 60%. The changes in the content of chemical components in pork kabanosy compared to poultry-pork ones demonstrated the different dynamics of the drying of the two types of kabanosy and the need for the selection of optimum drying conditions relative to raw material composition.