The effect of paprika, garlic and salt on rancidity in dry sausages

Eight batches of ground fat and eight batches of a mixture of meat and fat (70 and 30%, respectively), were prepared by adding salt, paprika and garli c, in the proportions used for making chorizo - a dry fermented sausage - s tuffed into natural casings and then ripened. The evolution of rancidity in these products was evaluated by means of total free fatty acid content, pe roxide value and TBARS during the ripening period. Spanish paprika and salt showed antioxidant and prooxidant properties, respectively. Paprika was ev en able to inhibit the prooxidant effect of salt. Also, four batches of cho rizo were made to compare the antioxidant effect of the spices (garlic and paprika) with a mixture of nitrate, nitrite and ascorbic acid. In this resp ect, paprika and garlic were as effective as the mixture of additives in in hibiting lipid oxidation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.