Semidry and Dry Fermented Sausages 381quality. Moreover, due to beef availability
(Argentina) and religious reasons (Muslim
countries), beef and lamb in sausage formu-
lation are used. The functional characteristics
of meat, such as composition, pH, and
binding properties, are major criteria when
selecting meat for fermented sausages pro-
duction. Meat and fat composition is vari-
able, depending on the species used and the
anatomical region of the animal. Although
the percentage of fat may vary (10% – 40%),
it must be fi rm, white, and fresh, with a
high melting point and a low content of poly-
unsaturated fatty acids to avoid rancidity and
fat exudation and for a clear - cut surface of
sausages (Demeyer 2004 ; Lebert et al. 2007 ).
As a rule, meat with a pH above 5.9 contains
low lactate and sugar levels; water is tightly
retained, resulting in poor binding conditions
and possible contamination. Selection of
meat that has minimum microbial loads is
critical; safety risks and unwanted fl avors
and texture may be introduced. For beef,
optimal pH is 5.4 to 5.5, while pork meat
usually acidifi es faster, with a fi nal pH of 5.7
to 5.8. PSE (pale, soft, and exudative) pork
meat and DFD (dry, fi rm and dark) beef
muscle with pH > 6.2 should be avoided. The
meat : fat ratio is generally 2 : 1 in the mix of
most industrial sausages, whereas in tradi-
tional sausage, this ratio is variable. Beef and
pork are somewhat preferred for semidry
sausages and northern - type products, while
pork seems to be more suitable for dry
sausage manufacture and for Mediterranean
products (Demeyer 2004 ).Additives
NaCl is normally added at levels ranging
from 2% to 4%, depending on technology
and market demands. Salt performs many
functions, including microbial growth sup-
pression, a w reduction, salt - soluble protein
release, and prooxidant effects. Nitrite and/or
nitrate are added to the meat batter at a level
of 150 to 250 ppm, depending on the meatlargely to their sensory quality, while safety
is mainly ensured by drying and low a w. Even
when dry fermented sausages are mainly
made with pork meat, the formulation, degree
of grinding, level of fermentation, smoking
intensity, temperature of ripening, and type
and size of casing will determine fi nal product
characteristics.
Fermented Sausage Manufacture
Fermented sausages can be defi ned as a meat
product made of a mixture of mainly beef and
pork meat, and less often of poultry, mutton,
lamb, goat, horse, ostrich, and game meat
(Vural and Ö zvural 2007 ); pork fat, salt,
curing agents, sugar, spices, and in many
cases starter cultures are added. The mix,
including as little oxygen as possible, is
placed into steam - permeable casings and
subjected to a fermentation and drying
process.
Ingredients and Additives
Meat and Fat
Meat from adult, well - fed animals is pre-
ferred, owing to its higher myoglobin content,
which favors stable color formation. Since
meat and meat products featured prominently
in recent food scandals, meat wholesomeness
and safety must be guaranteed; this involves
emerging pathogens, parasites, BSE, avian
infl uenza, and chemical residues hazards
(Skandamis and Nychas 2007 ; N ø rrung and
Buncic 2008 ). Although the meat used
depends on eating habits, customs, and
animal species availability in the geographi-
cal region, pork meat is mostly used, some-
times mixed with beef or mutton meat (Vural
and Ö zvural 2007 ). Pork is used for top -
grade raw sausages in Mediterranean coun-
tries, as the fl avor and appearance of such
products is preferred, while in Germany, the
addition of beef is not considered to diminish