SPANISH PAPRIKA AND GARLIC AS SOURCES OF COMPOUNDS OF TECHNOLOGICAL INTEREST FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DRY FERMENTED SAUSAGES

Two spices (Spanish dry paprika and fresh garlic) which are used in th e manufacture of chorizo, were analysed for dry matter, fermentable su gars - fructose, glucose and sucrose -, nitrates and nitrites, mineral microelements - Fe, Cu and Mn -, and ascorbic acid. Mean concentratio ns (in g . kg(-1)) found in paprika and garlic were respectively: dry matter, 934 and 364; fructose, 42.8 and 1.4; glucose, 13.8 and 1.1 and sucrose, 18.9 and 10.9; nitrates, 0.51 and 1.17 and nitrites, 0.044 a nd 0.065, as sodium salts, Fe, 0.251 and 0.043; Cu, 0.011 and 0.0028; Mn, 0.030 and 0.0031; ascorbic acid, 0.086 and 0.065. In comparison wi th the results of other studies on paprika, Spanish paprika has one of the lowest ascorbic acid contents, probably because the acid is destr oyed during processing. Spanish paprika and garlic provided the sausag e with significant amounts of sugars, nitrates and manganese which cou ld exert an influence on the biochemical changes occurring during the ripening process.