MICROFLORA IN SAUSAGES PASTEURIZED AT LOW -TEMPERATURE AND THEIR SENSORY EVALUATION

Commercially available processed meat products are generally pasteuriz ed under more excessive conditions (70 degrees C for 30 min) than thos e required by the Japan Food Sanitation Law which demands pasteurizati on by keeping the core part of meat at 63 degrees C for 30 min. Howeve r, pasteurization at higher temperature inevitably leads to reduction of the sensory and nutritional quality as meat products. The present s tudy was undertaken to look for alternative pasteurization conditions below 63 degrees C which could secure food safety and minimize demotio n of food quality. Microbial population and microflora in a mimetic po rk sausage pasteurized at 55 degrees C for various periods were examin ed. Micrococcus sp. of Z = 6.9 degrees C indicating thermotolerant bac teria and Streptococcus sp, of Z = 6.3 degrees C were found to be the dominant species in the mimetic sausage. Pasteurization conditions req uired to decrease the initial microbial populations of Micrococcus sp. by 1/10 000 were at 55 degrees C for 304 min or at 60 degrees C for 9 2 min. Pasteurization at 55 degrees C for 304 min gave the best result s showing sufficient pasteurization effect without any reduction of se nsory quality, and improved the sensory quality compared with the conv entional pasteurization.