Application of organic acid salts and high-pressure treatments to improve the preservation of blood sausage

Food Microbiol. 2008 Feb;25(1):154-61. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2007.06.004. Epub 2007 Jul 6.

Abstract

Blood sausages are traditional products in many parts of the world. In most cases, a very short shelf-life limits their consumption to the areas in which they are produced. In this work, different mild preservation methods were applied to Morcilla de Burgos, a Spanish blood sausage, consisting of a range of organic acid salts (OAS) and high-pressure processing (HPP), with the aim of increasing its shelf-life. In the first experiment, three batches of morcillas were produced using three different commercial OAS-PL (3% potassium lactate), PL+SL (3% potassium and sodium lactate) and PL+SD (2.5% potassium lactate and sodium diacetate)-together with a control batch and were stored under chill conditions (4 degrees C) for 35 days. In a further experiment, vacuum-packaged morcillas were treated at three different pressure levels-300, 500 and 600MPa-for 10min, and stored under chill conditions for 28 days. In both batches, a sensory difference test was performed on day 1 after treatment and the morcilla samples were subjected to microbiological and sensory analysis after each week in storage. The results suggest that, in both cases, an addition of PL+SL and the application of 600MPa for 10min increases the shelf-life of the morcillas by 15 days. Once again, it is evident that the initial opportunities for contamination play a very important role in improving the shelf-life of food products.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Food Contamination / analysis
  • Food Handling / methods*
  • Food Microbiology
  • Food Packaging / methods
  • Food Preservation / methods*
  • Food Preservatives / pharmacology*
  • Hydrostatic Pressure*
  • Lactates / pharmacology
  • Meat Products / microbiology*
  • Salts / pharmacology
  • Taste
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors
  • Vacuum

Substances

  • Food Preservatives
  • Lactates
  • Salts