CONTRIBUTION OF MICROBIAL AND MEAT ENDOGENOUS ENZYMES TO THE LIPOLYSIS OF DRY FERMENTED SAUSAGES

The role of the starter culture and meat endogenous enzymes in the lip olysis of dry fermented sausages has been studied. Five batches of sau sages were manufactured. The control batch was made with aseptic ingre dients without microbial inoculation. The other four experimental batc hes were manufactured with the aseptic ingredients inoculated with Lac tobacillus plantarum 4045, Staphylococcus sp., L. plantarum 4045 and M icrococcus-12, or L. plantarum 4045 and Staphylococcus sp. Their effec ts on pH, a,, long chain free fatty acid and short chain fatty acid co ntents and compositions were studied. Sausages inoculated with L. plan tarum 4045 had the lowest pH as a result of carbohydrate fermentation. However, release of free fatty acids was greater in the inoculated sa usages than in the aseptic one. Lipolysis, measured as total content o f long chain free fatty acids, occurred not only in the inoculated bat ches but also in the control, which could suggest that the meat endoge nous lipases play an important role in this process. Lipolysis produce d an increased release of linoleic and oleic acids. Changes were obser ved in the short chain fatty acid fraction, but acetic acid was always the major fatty acid.