Influence of wood types on quality and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of smoked sausages

Abstract

Our study investigated the effect of smoking sausages using different types of woodchips—Neem (Azadirachta indica Valeton.), Copper pod (Cassia siamea Lamk), Earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis Cunn.), and Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn)—compared to commercial Beech woodchips on different qualities of the smoked sausages—pH, water acidity, total acidity, color, sensory properties and shelf life. Moreover, the contents of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of the smoked sausages were evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated that sausage smoked with Neem woodchips had similar physical qualities, sensory properties and shelf-life (9 weeks) to sausage smoked with Beech woodchips. Total PAHs revealed no significant differences between these two sausages, while the PAH4 levels of sausage smoked with Neem woodchips (1.06 μg/kg) was significantly lower than that of sausage smoked with Beech woodchips (1.54 μg/kg). The sausages smoked with Copper pod woodchips (L* value 54.1, hardness 13.0 N) and Eucalyptus woodchips (L* value 50.3, hardness 11.1 N) had lighter color and softer texture than those smoked with Beech woodchips (L* value 50.8, hardness 13.7 N), respectively, while their total PAH and PAH4 contents were not significantly different. Although the sausage smoked with Earleaf acacia woodchips had the lowest contents of total PAHs, its quality during the 9 weeks of storage was unacceptable due to higher aerobic plate counts which were believed to be related to the low smoke generation temperature of the Earleaf acacia woodchips. Therefore, the overall results suggested that the Neem woodchips could be potentially utilized as a low cost alternative to commercial Beech woodchips for smoking meat products in the meat industry.