Abstract

MONTES ALVAREZ, Julio; RESTREPO FLOREZ, Claudia; PATINO GOMEZ, Jairo  and  CANO SALAZAR, Jaime Andrés. Effect of the concentration of starter cultures and dextrose on the quality of the maturation and the sensory life of pepperoni. Rev. Lasallista Investig. [online]. 2013, vol.10, n.1, pp.101-111. ISSN 1794-4449.

Introduction. The automation of processes in meat industries and the combination between rapid fermentation cultures and fermentable substrates that allow the elaboration of high quality dry maturated products in a short period of time and with new sensory characteristics, are the factors that must be taken into account in order to improve, standardize and reduce the traditional time required for such type of food, thus allowing meat industries to diversify their products and provide food with new added value to consumers. Objective. Demonstrate the advantages of controlling temperature and humidity parameters in curing chambers and incorporating different dosages of starting cultures and dextrose on the fermentation, maturation and conservation of pepperoni. Materials and methods. To evaluate the effect of the dextrose concentrations and the starter cultures on the pepperoni's maturation, four combinations were evaluated in concentrations between 0.03% and 0.05% of the Bactoferm LHP, and 0.5% culture and 1% of dextrose. The fermentation and the maturation took place under controlled humidity and temperature conditions. The life time was evaluated in a 100 days period, analyzing the physical-chemical, microbial and sensory characteristics of food every 30 days during storage at room temperature. Results. The most relevant difference found during storage for pepperoni with dextrose above 0,5, was the appearance of defects in the final product such as brown coloring and acid and greasy tastes. Concentrations of 0,03% of starter cultures and 0,5% of dextrose had just the opposite effect, with a product that had a better humidity retention and, in consequence, a better appearance and texture. The life time study of the pepperoni determined that the treatments evaluated guaranteed the safety of the product during 94 days at 26° C, as a result of the synergy effect of the acid-lactic bacteria metabolites that avoided the development of altering and pathogen microorganisms. Conclusion. The use of dextrose as a fermenting substratum for starter cultures was essential to control the acidification speed of pepperoni during the fermentation and thus avoid the rapid reduction of pH and the formation of sensory defects in the final product. This way, a sensory stability can be achieved for the product during storage at room temperature.

Keywords : pepperoni; acid-lactic bacteria; maturation; curing.

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