Javier Carballo

Study of the biochemical changes during the processing of Androlla, a Spanish dry-cured pork sausage

Androlla is a dry-cured sausage manufactured with pork in the northwest of Spain (Galicia). In three batches of this product, manufactured by three different producers, samples of the mix before stuffing and from sausages after 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 days of ripening were taken. In each sample, the overall chemical composition, physico-chemical parameters, nitrogen fractions and some degradative parameters of the fat were determined. The changes in the different compositional parameters throughout ripening were similar to those observed in other similar products and the values of these parameters, at the end of ripening, were inside the wide range of values reported in the bibliography for various dry-cured sausages. Sugars were not added in the mix and the lactic fermentation during ripening was not very intense. The values of non-protein nitrogen, α-aminoacidic nitrogen and total basic volatile nitrogen were increased significantly during ripening. The final levels of non-protein nitrogen were found to be within the range of values observed for other sausage varieties; however, the values of α-aminoacidic nitrogen and total basic volatile nitrogen were lower than those found in similar products. From the values of the acidity of the fat it can be concluded that the lipolysis that this product undergoes is moderate; the peroxide values are higher than those found in other sausages, however T.B.A. values are lower to those habitually described by other authors.

Biochemical changes throughout the ripening of a traditional Spanish goat cheese variety (Babia-Laciana)

The physico-chemical characteristics, proteolysis (classical nitrogen fractions, caseins and their degradation products and free amino acids), and lipolysis (fat acidity and free fatty acids) were studied throughout the ripening of three batches of Babia-Laciana cheese, a Spanish traditional variety made from raw goats’ milk. The main compositional characteristics of this cheese at the end of the ripening are its high content of total solids (TS) (78.0±2.4 g 100 g−1 of cheese) and fat (61.1±1.2 g 100 g−1 of TS), the presence of residual lactose (1.6±0.8 g 100 g−1 of TS) and its low content of sodium chloride (1.1±0.7 g 100 g−1 of TS) and ash (2.8±0.5 g 100 g−1 of TS). Its pH values (4.44±0.72) are extraordinarily low. The evolution and final values of the different nitrogen fractions show that this cheese undergoes a very slight proteolysis, a fact which was corroborated when the caseins and their degradation products were quantified: β-casein did not undergo any modification throughout ripening, while only 21% of the αs-caseins were degraded. Free amino acids content increased by a factor of about 7 throughout ripening, resulting in a high content of γ-amino butyric acid and a low content of glutamic acid at the end of the process. Fat acidity increased very slightly, approximately 4.5 times, during ripening, reaching final values of 3.5±2.2 mg KOH g−1 of fat. The total free fatty acids content showed a similar evolution to fat acidity. At the end of the ripening process, the main free fatty acid was C18:1, followed by C16 and C10.

Picón Bejes-Tresviso blue cheese : an overall biochemical survey throughout the ripening process

The gross and mineral composition, the main physico-chemical parameters, the proteolysis (classical nitrogen fractions and free amino acids) and the lipolysis (acidity index of the fat and free fatty acids) were studied throughout the ripening of three batches of Picon Bejes-Tresviso cheese, a Spanish blue-veined variety. The gross and mineral composition and the physico-chemical parameters do not differ very much from those observed in other Spanish and European blue cheeses. From the figures of the different nitrogen fractions it can be concluded that this cheese undergoes an extensive and profound proteolysis throughout the ripening period. Consequently high levels of total free amino acids were observed; the most abundant amino acids at the end of ripening were valine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine and glutamic acid. Picon Bejes-Tresviso cheese also undergoes an intense lipolysis throughout ripening as the acidity index of the fat and the total free fatty acids values indicated; the most abundant free fatty acid was oleic, followed by palmitic and myristic acid.

Biogenic amine content during the manufacture of dry-cured lacón, a spanish traditional meat product : Effect of some additives

The content of nine biogenic amines (agmatine, tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine and spermine) was determined throughout the manufacture of dry-cured lacón, a traditional dry-salted and ripened meat product made in the north-west of Spain from the fore leg of the pig following a similar process to that of dry-cured ham. The effect of the use of additives (glucose, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium ascorbate and sodium citrate) on the biogenic amine content during manufacture was also studied. Tryptamine and spermine were the main biogenic amines in fresh meat, while tryptamine and cadaverine were the most abundant at the end of the manufacturing process. During ripening the total amine content increased significantly (P<0.05) in the batches made both without and with additives. The use of additives significantly (P<0.05) increased the total amine content and the content of tryptamine, tyramine and histamine. The total biogenic amine content at the end of the manufacturing process was low as expected for a product in which there is little active microbial metabolism during manufacture.

Survival of Enterobacteriaceae during processing of Chorizo de cebolla, a Spanish fermented sausage

Chorizo de cebolla is a popular semi-dry fermented sausage from Galicia (NW of Spain). The survival of Enterobacteriaceae was investigated in three batches of C. de cebolla (one of them hand made and the other two manufactured industrially). The maximum count of Enterobacteriaceae was obtained in each lot after 2 days of the raw sausage mix being stuffed and from then on it started to decrease until it disappeared in the fourth week of ripening in one of the batches manufactured industrially and after 6 weeks in the other. In the artisanal sausages the counts practically decreased exponentially until the third week of ripening, increasing in the following week before again decreasing until the end of ripening, though they never disappeared. Escherichia coli, Serratia odorifera and Enterobacter intermedius were the only species isolated during the curing process of the hand made sausages, E. coli being the dominant species. In the industrial ones a higher number of species were isolated, with the predominance of E. coli and Hafnia alvei.

Effects of ripening time and combination of ovine and caprine milks on proteolysis of Picante cheese

Proteolysis in Picante cheese was characterized by assaying for breakdown products throughout a 180 day ripening period using different combinations of ewe’s and goat’s milks. Parameters analysed were total nitrogen (TN), water-soluble nitrogen (WSN) and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) using Kjeldahl and spectrophotometric methods, and casein profile by electrophoresis. WSN at 180 days of ripening was 2529% TN. The maximum NPN values were attained by 180 days of ripening and corresponded to 87% and 92% of the WSN in OC and lOOC, respectively (where iC denotes a cheese manufactured with i% caprine milk). Statistically significant correlations were obtained between the various analytical methods of assay for nitrogen and ripening time. The spectrophotometric methods using either trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid or cadmium-ninhydrin proved satisfactory in assessing the ripening index (instead of the Kjeldahl method). Degradation of /J-caseins at 180 days was 18.8,26.4,40.2, 55.6 and 36.5% for OC, 25C, 5OC, 75C and 1 OOC, respectively. Degradation of cw,-caseins by 180 days was 35.9,40.2, 81.8,93.0 and 68.7% for OC, 25C, 5OC, 75C and lOOC, respectively. In general, a higher cheesemaking milk fraction of caprine milk was associated with higher amounts of y-caseins. 0 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd

Characterization and biochemical changes during the ripening of a Spanish craft goat's milk cheese (Armada variety)

The gross and mineral composition, and some physico-chemical parameters were determined in 15 batches of Armada goats milk cheese (a Spanish craft variety), as well as in the milk used for its manufacture. Some biochemical changes during the ripening process have been also investigated. The milk used in the elaboration of Armada cheese had higher lactose, fat, protein and ash contents than previously reported by other authors, whilst iron content was lower than recent results for goats milk from other countries. Armada cheese showed a high total solids content and a low NaCl and ash content. Water activity (Aw) values decreased progressively during ripening, reaching very low final values (0.895 on average). Lactose disappeared almost completely within the first 7 days of ripening, when the cheese had the lowest pH values (about 4.50). l-Lactic acid dominated in the curd, but during the ripening process both isomers (d- and l-) tended to balance. Variations in mineral content during ripening were only found for magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and zinc: they showed a significant reduction in the first days of ripening coincidental with a decrease in pH values.

Proteolytic and lipolytic modifications during the manufacture of dry-cured lacón, a Spanish traditional meat product: Effect of some additives

The extractability of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, the myofibrillar proteins and their degradation products, classical nitrogen fractions, free amino acids, acidity of the fat, and free fatty acids were determined throughout the manufacturing process of dry-cured lacón, a traditional dry-salted and ripened meat product made in the northwest of Spain from the foreleg of the pig, following a similar technological process to that of dry-cured ham. The effect of the use of additives (glucose, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium ascorbate and sodium citrate) on the proteolytic and lipolytic changes was also studied. Throughout the manufacture, approximately 87% of the sarcoplasmic proteins and 91% of the myofibrillar proteins became insoluble. There was a significant (p<0.05) decrease of the myosin heavy chain, actin, and myosin light chains 1, 2 and 3, and also a significant (p<0.05) increase in the components generated as a result of the degradation of these myofibrillar proteins. The content of the different nitrogen fractions and of the free amino acids indicated that protein degradation during the manufacture of dry-cured lacón is only moderate. Data on the acidity of fat and of free fatty acids also indicated that lipolysis in dry-cured lacón is lower than in hams. The use of additives did not significantly influence the protein and lipid degradation, which occur throughout the manufacturing process.

Proteolytic and lipolytic changes during the ripening of a Spanish craft goat cheese (Armada variety)

The proteolytic ad lipolytic changes during the ripening process were investigated in four batches of Armad goats milk cheese (an artisanal variety produced in the North of Spain), by determining the classical nitrogen fractions, caseins and their degradation products, free amino acids, as well as the acidity of the fat, thiobarbituric aicd number and free fatty acids

Biochemical characteristics of dry-cured lacón

Dry-cured lacon is a salted and ripened meat product made in the north-west of Spain from the fore extremity of the pig following a technological process very similar to those of dry-cured ham. The gross composition, the most relevant physico-chemical parameters, the protein extractability, the nitrogen fractions, as well as some fat characteristics, were determined in 21 units of the end-product. With some minor exceptions, the compositional and physico-chemical parameter values do not differ very much from those observed in cured ham and other meat cured-products made from entire pieces. It can be deduced, from the values of the different nitrogen fractions, that dry-cured lacon, throughout its elaboration, undergoes a very light proteolysis. The values of free fatty acid contents indicate that the lipolysis is also not very intense. However, the peroxide values are higher than those found in dry-cured ham for a similar ripening period.