BIOGENIC AMINE FORMATION IN REFRIGERATED FRESH SAUSAGE “CHORIZO” KEEPS IN MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of packaging treatments on the attributes of commercial fresh chorizo sausages during chilled storage was studied. Four different types of commercial packaging were tested, namely, overwrapping, vacuum packaging and modified atmosphere packaging using 20%CO2/80%N2 (CO2/N2) or 30%CO2/70% argon (CO2/Ar). Characteristics of product were evaluated through pH levels, microbial growth, biogenic amines (BAs) formation, and sensory analysis. The sausages had high levels of lactic acid bacteria and total viable counts, which increased slightly (P < 0.05) on day 7 and then stabilized until the end of storage, without differences (P > 0.05) between lots. Except for spermidine and spermine, BA levels in the product were generally low. BA increased gradually over the storage period, but this trend could not be clearly related to microbial population levels. Overall acceptability decreased over the storage period, the highest scores (P < 0.05) were recorded for the unopened packages of the lots CO2/N2 and CO2/Ar. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This original research contains valuable data about the effect of different packaging conditions (overwrapping, vacuum packaging and modified atmosphere packaging using 20% CO2/80% N2 (CO2/N2) or 30% CO2/70% argon (CO2/Ar) on commercial fresh sausages during chilled storage. These types of packaging are currently used by the industry; however, their effects on microbiological quality, biogenic amine formation and sensory changes in commercial fresh pork sausages (“chorizo”) have not been evaluated. Biogenic amines present interest for two reasons. They may be indicators of quality in some foods also intake of foods containing high concentrations of biogenic amines may represent a health hazard as a result of the direct toxic effects of these compounds and/or their interactions with certain medicines. The results are practical in nature and are useful both for the industry and the research.