Acidity, proteolysis and lipolysis changes in rapid-cured fermented sausage dried at different temperatures

Two batches of dry-cured fermented sausage were made by industrial methods at pilot scale. The difference between them was the drying temperature applied (5 or 12 degreesC) for a period of time extending from the moment when pH = 5 was attained until a weight loss of 20% was achieved. The other conditions were the same for the two processes, Changes in pH, total acidity, D- and L-lactic acids, acetic acid, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), free amino acids (FAA) and free fatty acids (FFA) were studied, and a discriminatory sensory analysis of the ready-to-eat product was carried out, Only L-lactic acid and total acidity within the acidity parameters showed substantial differences halfway through the drying process. No significant differences were found in any of the acidity variables at the end of the process, The drying temperature encouraged the production of TVBN, but no direct relationship was established between it and the quantity of FAA. The three fractions of FFA [SFA (saturated fatty acids), MUFA (monoun saturated fatty acids) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids)] increased during the curing period, always higher at 12 degreesC than at 5 degreesC throughout the process. No differences between the two processes were detected by the discriminatory sensory analysis.