LIPOLYTIC AND MICROBIAL CHANGES DURING THE NATURAL FERMENTATION AND RIPENING OF GREEK DRY SAUSAGES

The hydrolytic changes in the lipid fraction and the changes in microb ial growth during the natural fermentation and ripening of Greek dry s ausages were studied. Two batches were manufactured under industrial c onditions, without the addition of starter cultures. The results of th e microbiological analyses indicated that, among the micro-organisms w ell known for their lipolytic activity, micrococci were predominant du ring the whole fermentation-ripening process. It was shown that the fa tty acid composition of the hydrolysed lipid fraction did not remain c onstant with time. Analysis of the experimental results indicated that , given the length of the aliphatic chain (16 or 18 carbon atoms), the more unsaturated fatty acids were hydrolysed in preference to the sat urated homologues. On the other hand, fatty acids having 16 carbon ato ms were hydrolysed in preference to the iso-unsaturated ones having 18 carbon atoms.