Abstract:
This study evaluated the effect of a ‘formulation of selected dairy starter cultures and commercial
probiotics’, associated with ‘specific ripening conditions’ in the production of nitrite and nitratefree,
low-acid, fermented pork sausage, produced in a small-scale plant in Umbria (Italy), and their
effect on microbiological, physico-chemical and sensorial properties of the products. The following
conditions were investigated throughout the experiment: (i) the use of the ‘formulation of
selected dairy starter cultures and commercial probiotics’ vs no starter; (ii) the use of ‘specific ripening
conditions’ vs ‘classic ripening conditions’; (iii) the use of nitrate vs nitrite and nitrate-free
sausages. Sensory properties were improved and pathogen control was greater in salami to
which a ‘formulation of selected dairy starter cultures and commercial probiotics’ had been
added, especially under ‘specific ripening conditions’. The proposed formulation, together with
the specific ripening conditions, greatly inhibited the growth of undesirable microbiota, reduced
the isolation rate of pathogens and preserved the acceptability of the salami.
