Handbook of Meat Processing

364 Chapter 21

staphylococci and/or lactobacilli and yeasts

can contribute to aroma formation as well as

to the reduction of ripening - drying time. This

time reduction can be achieved with the help

of acidifi cation as a consequence of carbohy-

drate breakdown and lactic acid production

by lactobacilli. The reason for time reduction

is the well - known fact that muscle protein

moisture is loosely bound and can be given

off more easily when it is close to the iso-

electric point. A clear distinction can gener-

ally be made between traditional and starter

culture fermented sausages (low - acid and

high - acid sausages), yet this is not so

unequivocal when the original low pH of

starter fermented sausage increases by the

end of the process because of a long drying

time. Usually no difference in terms of pH

can be detected between the two types of

sausages if other starters are added instead

of lactobacilli. It has to be emphasized that

low a w - value as a consequence of a longer

drying time is of vital importance in order to

avoid or at least to inhibit rapid breakdown

of lactic acid by molds when a w is high, in

this way losing the inhibitory activity against

pathogenic bacteria (e.g., staphylococci).

Technology of Mold - Ripened

Sausages: Raw Materials

Since dry - sausage manufacture, unlike the

dairy industry, does not have the advantage

of pasteurization for reducing undesired

technology without application of any kind
of starter culture (Hungarian salami, for
example, where staphylococci, lactobacilli,
yeasts, and molds are not applied; Incze
1987 ).

Classifi cation of

Mold - Ripened Sausages

Mold - ripened sausages can be classifi ed sim-
ilarly to fermented raw sausages without
mold, with only a few differences. Mold
growth needs time and a supporting environ-
ment with adequate temperature and relative
humidity; mold needs to be present either in
the form of native house mycofl ora or more
often as artifi cial inoculation with a mold
starter culture. These parameters in ripening
rooms are different from those in systems for
sausages without mold, but this difference
applies only to a few days or weeks, depend-
ing on the speed of the molds ’ growth and on
the diameter of the sausage. Mold growth and
changes in ripening parameters and other
measurable features are the basic differences
between sausages with and without mold
(Table 21.1 ).
Mold - ripened sausages can be manufac-
tured entirely traditionally (no starter culture
in and on the sausage), semitraditionally
(either no bacterial or no mold starter culture),
or with bacterial and mold starter culture
simultaneously; this latter technology is
becoming the most widespread. Applying

Table 21.1. Classifi cation of mold ripened sausages and suggested parameters

Measured

feature

Traditional (no

starterculture)

With mold

starter only

With bacterial and/or

yeast starter only

Bacterial and mold

starter

Drying time long * long * shorter with lactic

starter * *

shorter with lactic

starter * *

pH 5.6 – 6.2 5.6 – 6.2 ≤ 5.3 at the beginning

of ripening with

lactic starter culture

≤ 5.3 at the beginning

of ripening

a w < 0.90 < 0.90 ≤ 0.93 * * * ≤ 0.93 * * *

• some weeks to several months depending on diameter


• 
  
  
  
  • cca 3 weeks to 1 – 2 months depending on diameter but never some days (!) only, as common with spreadable items
  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  
  • 
    
    
    
    • for safety reason (in order to prevent lactic acid breakdown) it is advisable to reduce it to lower than 0.95, an
      acceptable value in sausages without mold