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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Water activity (aw) is the main hurdle for microbial control in dry-cured sausages. The
aw can be influenced by drying or adding electrolytes or humectants. Dry-cured meat products are
partially dried, which, together with added salt, results in safe aw values. Currently, there is a trend
to reduce salt in meat products, which can compromise the preservation process. The present work
aims to evaluate the influences of added salt levels (1% or 3%) and the use or omission of phosphates
and wine on the aw of a dry-cured sausage, and to evaluate the possibility of estimating the aw
from the moisture loss and the behavior of Salmonella during dry-cured sausage (chouriço) processing.
There was a strong relationship between moisture and aw, regardless of the salt level and the presence
of phosphates or wine. Predicting aw from moisture loss is possible using the Boltzmann sigmoid
function. The salt level strongly influences Salmonella behavior, mainly through aw reduction. An
increase in aw by 0.01 units reduced the odds of achieving a 5-log reduction in Salmonella counts to
half. Increasing added salt from 1% to 3% increased the odds of achieving a 5-log Salmonella reduction
7.5-fold. The current trend to reduce salt in foods must be carefully approached if applied to cured
meat products, as it has substantial consequences on aw evolution and Salmonella survival
Description
Research Areas: Food Science & Technology
Keywords
Water activity Aw Dry-cured sausages Chouriço Salt Phosphates Wine Salmonella
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Patarata L, Fernandes L, Silva JA, Fraqueza MJ. 2022. The Risk of Salt Reduction in Dry-Cured Sausage Assessed by the Influence on Water Activity and the Survival of Salmonella. Foods, 11(3):444. DOI 10.3390/foods11030444
Publisher
MDPI