Effect of starter culture and storage temperature on the content of biogenic amines in dry fermented sausage poličan

Effect of starter culture and storage temperature on the content of biogenic amines in dry fermented sausage poličan

Water activity, pH, microbial counts (total counts/TCM/, coliforms, Enterobacter, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia and Lactobacillus spp., respectively), and seven biogenic amines (BA) were determined in dry fermented sausage ‘poličan’ produced using starter culture A (Lactobacillus sakei, Staphylococcus carnosus, S. xylosus) or B (L. sakei, S. carnosus, Pediococcus pentosaceus), ripened 42 days, and subsequently stored at 8 or 22°C 60 days. Counts of lactobacilli were higher and TCM lower in the A-sausage when ripening was finished. Tyramine (quantitatively most important BA) content was not different (P>0.05) in A- (90 mg/kg of dry matter, DM) or B-sausage (91 mg/kg DM) at the end of ripening. The effect of the storage temperature on BA content was not significant (P>0.05) in the case of either tyramine or any other tested BA. The increase of total BA content during ripening was not different (P>0.05) between A- and B-sausages (final value 190 and 222 mg/kg DM, respectively). However, sum of BA was significantly higher (P<0.05) in B-sausage as compared with A-sausage at the end of either refrigerated storage (304 and 236 mg/kg DM) or room temperature storage (468 and 206 mg/kg DM, respectively). It is concluded that legislative limits should be established for tyramine and total BA content in dry fermented meat products.