Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of diverse Spanish cured meat products

ABSTRACT

A study about the influence of commercial packaging on physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of Spanish cured meat products was performed. For this purpose, 100 samples of fermented sausages (FS) and pieces of cured meat (P) were analyzed. Results for mean pH values were 5.12 (FS) and between 5.79–5.83 (P). All mean values for a_w were under 0.90. Mean counts for mesophilic aerobic bacteria were more than 8 log cfu/g (FS) and they were between 4.47 and 7.61 log cfu/g (P). Microbiological groups of Enterobacteriaceae were not detected in more than two-thirds of the samples. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus was frequent. Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were detected, after enrichment, in 4 and 5 samples, respectively. Clostridium botulinum was not detected. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) absence of enterobacteria was observed in packaged samples.

RESUMEN

Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio sobre la influencia que puedan tener las distintas presentaciones comerciales de productos cárnicos españoles sobre las características fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas de los mismos. Para conseguir este objetivo, 100 muestras de embutidos (FS) y piezas curadas (P) fueron analizadas. Los resultados para los valores medios de pH fueron 5,12 (FS) y entre 5,79-5,83 (P). Todos los valores de a_w estuvieron por debajo de 0,90. Las medias de los recuentos para la flora aerobia mesófila fueron de más de 8 log ufc/g (FS) y entre 4,47-7,61 log ufc/g (P). Distintos componentes de la familia Enterobacteriaceae no fueron detectados en más de dos tercios de las muestras. La presencia de Staphylococcus aureus fue habitual. Salmonella spp. y Listeria monocytogenes fueron detectados, tras enriquecimiento, en 4 y 5 muestras, respectivamente. Clostridium botulinum no fue detectado. Fue observada una ausencia, estadísticamente significativa (p < 0,05), de enterobacterias en las muestras envasadas.

KEYWORDS:

• Meat products
• microbiological
• physicochemical
• packaging

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Productos cárnicos
• microbiología
• físico-químico
• envasado

Acknowledgments

Financial support from cooperation agreement between the Junta de Castilla y León and ICTAL (2007), and the scholarship from the University of León are gratefully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support from cooperation agreement between the Junta de Castilla y León and ICTAL (2007), and the scholarship from the University of León are gratefully acknowledged.