Microbial quality indicators and physicochemical properties of a Portuguese traditional dry-fermented sausage along processing
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abstract
Linguica is a traditional Portuguese dry1ermented sausage whereby chopped
pork is macerated with water, wine, salt, garlic and pepper, and undergoes
processes of maturation, smoking and drying. While they are highly appreciated,
their production is subject to extensive process variability and quality. The
objective of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between quality
indicator microorganisms such as total viable counts (TVC), Enterobacteriaceae
and S. aureus and the physicochemical characteristics of the batter/sausage along
processing of Linguica. Microbiological surveys following a batch throughout
production were completed for three batches in each of the two factories under
study. In every batch, samples of raw meat (n=3), batter before maceration (n=3),
batter after 3- or 4-day maceration (n=3) and sausages after curing/drying (n=S)
were extracted. Counts of TVC, Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus as well as pH
and water activity (Aw) were determined in duplicate for each sample. A
principal component analysis (PCA) of these variables was carried out using
the R software 2.14.2. The two-component PCA solution explained 73% of the
total variability. The fact that, within the first principal component (46%), S.
aureus and TVC had both positive correlation coefficients while pH and Aw
had both negative correlations, indicated that along processing (i.e., decrease in
pH and Aw), there was a tendency for both indicators of hygiene to increase.
It also showed that S. aureus had the capacity to develop in LinguiAga despite
the increasingly-adverse conditions of the food matrix. In relation to the second
principal component (27%), Enterobacteriaceae counts and Aw had both
positive correlations, suggesting that as Aw decreases along processing, the
Enterobacteriaceae levels also tend to diminish. In the hi-dimensional projection
of the principal components, for both factories, the finished products tend to
present lower levels of Enterobacteriaceae and higher levels of S. aureus.
