Irradiation of reduced-sodium uncooked lamb sausage: antimicrobial efficacy and physicochemical impact

Excess sodium in food is associated with an increased risk of noncommunicable diseases. Faced with this reality, consumers are becoming aware of the importance of eating foods with reduced sodium content. This work assesses the effects of partial replacement of NaCl by KCl on the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of uncooked lamb sausage treated with different doses of gamma radiation. Analyses of thermotolerant coliforms, sulfite-reducing Clostridium, Salmonella sp., protein, moisture, ash, lipids, pH, water activity, and color were performed. The results showed that the formulations with reduced sodium content did not differ significantly concerning microbial growth and met the identity and quality standards considering its physicochemical characteristics. Also, irradiation is efficient as a microbiological control method, and the ± 3-kGy dose was the most effective to eliminate pathogenic bacteria present in the sausage formulation prepared with reduced sodium content, inducing less intense changes in physicochemical parameters.

Effect of irradiation and storage on biogenic amine contents in ripened Egyptian smoked cooked sausage

The effects of γ-irradiation upon the biogenic amine inventory in Egyptian smoked cooked sausages were investigated for the first time during storage for up to 90 days at 4 °C. Typical contents of biogenic amines in non-irradiated sausages ranged between 125.50 and 596.18 mg/kgDW; irradiation with 4 and 6 kGy decreased said total contents to 105.20-94.82 and 104.98-26.44 mg/kgDW respectively, by the end of storage. Putrescine and cadaverine were the major amines in non-irradiated samples-where it accounted for 33% and 29% respectively, of the total by 90 days; however, tyramine dominated in irradiated samples with 2, 4 and 6 kGy, where it accounted for 44, 52 and 42%. On the other hand, the histamine content in non-irradiated sausage by 90 days of storage (i.e. 109.12 mg/kgDW) clearly exceeded the maximum allowable of 50 mg/kg, unlike happened in their irradiated counterparts. Therefore, the dramatic reduction observed in the histamine levels suggests use of this preservation technique for that traditional meat food.