Chemometric model for describing Greek traditional sausages

Chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory analyses were performed on 31 samples of Greek traditional sausages. The following attributes were rec orded: fat 15.49-56.86%, moisture 21.92-65.40%, protein 14.73-26.74%, sodiu m chloride 2.36-4.13%, nitrites 0.0-3.26 ppm, mean nitrates 38.19 ppm, TBA value 0.42-5.33 mg malonaldehyde/kg, pH 4.74-6.74, water activity (a(w)) 0. 88-0.97, firmness 0-64 Zwick units, lightness (L*) 25.03-35.37, redness (a* ) 2.55-11.42, yellowness 4.42-12.96, aerobic plate count 5.48-9.32 cfu/g, l actic acid bacteria (LAB) 5.26-9.08 cfu/g, micrococci/staphylococci 4.11-6. 91 cfu/g and Gram (-) bacteria 1.78-6.15 cfu/g. Mean sensory scores ranged from 3.14 to 3.54 on a 5-point hedonic scale. Two statistical analysis prog rammes (Praxitele and SPSS) were used for characterising and assessing the properties of sausages. The first two principal components (PC1-2) derived by SPSS (50.5% variance) describe more satisfactorily the variance than the corresponding PC1-2, PC1-3 obtained by Praxitele (40.4% variance). High co nsumer preference was strongly related to satisfactory appearance and stron g taste, high LAB count, medium fat content, medium firmness and lightness (L-surface*). Extreme attribute values (high or low) for firmness, moisture and fat content, low salt content and low taste were related to low consum er preference. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.. All rights reserved.