Potential technological interest of a Mucor strain to be used in dry fermented sausage production

Abstract

The effect of several parameters on the proteolytic activity of a non-toxigenic Mucor strain previously isolated from Spanish dry fermented sausages was studied. For this, pH and NaCl concentration of a culture medium and temperature and incubation time were modified to reach values near to those used for ripening of dry fermented sausages. The optimum conditions for the development of proteolytic activity were a NaCl concentration of 30 g litre −1, pH of 5.5 and a temperature of 18 °C. The results, however, obtained at 14 °C (temperature of the final phase of ripening), indicated that the strain studied would be able to produce proteases at this temperature and, therefore, contribute to the proteolytic phenomena occurring during ripening of dry fermented sausages and to the development of the flavour and the odour characteristics of these products.