The contribution of Penicillium aurantiogriseum to the volatile composition and sensory quality of dry fermented sausages

An atoxygenic, proteolytic and lipolytic strain of Penicillium aurantiogris eum was tested for its ability to accelerate the production of volatile com pounds and to improve the sensory properties of dry fermented sausages. The following batches of sausages were prepared: control; superficially inocul ated with a spore suspension; added with an intracellular cell free extract : and superficially inoculated and added with the intracellular cell free e xtract. Higher levels of lipid oxidation products were found in the aroma e xtracts of sausages without a mould cover. In contrast, branched aldehydes and alcohols presented higher concentrations in superficially inoculated an d extract added sausages, while esters only showed higher concentration in the first ones. The sensory analysis showed that sausages prepared with bot h treatments received the highest scores in all the properties evaluated, w hich demonstrated both the potential of this mould as producer of volatile compounds and the effectiveness of combining both treatments. (C) 2001 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.