Maria Antonietta Paleari

Chemical and microbiological parameters and sensory attributes of a typical Sicilian salami ripened in different conditions

A study was carried out on a typical Sicilian salami prepared from meat of the local Nero Siciliano pig in order to characterize this typical product. One formulation of salami was divided in two batches and ripened in two different environments, a traditional sicilian room (TR) and a controlled industrial ripening room (RR). Microbiological and physico-chemical analysis were performed on raw mixture and after 7 and 90 days of ripening. Sensory analysis was carried out on salami at the end of ripening, and flavour compounds were extracted by simultaneous distillation-extraction and analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Commercial salami prepared from meat from white pig were purchased locally and used as comparative samples. The experimental salami at the end of ripening was characterized by a high level of fat and low level of moisture. Fatty acid analysis showed that experimental salami contained a higher percentage of oleic acid, vaccenic acid and palmitic acid and a lower percentage of stearic acid and linoleic acid, when compared to commercial salami (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in fatty acid composition of the experimental salami between the two types of ripening. Instrumental analysis of flavour volatile compounds in the experimental salami demonstrated that traditionally ripened salami contained the most volatiles, especially aldehydes (8217 vs. 3104 ng g(-1), P<0.05). Sensory analysis showed no significant differences as a consequence of different ripening conditions for firmness, saltiness, acidity, cohesiveness and elasticity. In contrast, there were significant differences for hardness and rancidity, which were higher in TR salami compared with RR and commercial salami. Lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcaceae counts were higher in controlled ripened salami although the hygienic quality of both products was satisfactory. The use of a controlled room for the ripening of this typical salami seems to be a potential technological improvement to maintain an all year around production of this salami, that otherwise cannot be produced in the summer period due to the higher environmental temperatures. However, the non traditionally ripened product showed some chemical differences that were not evidenced by sensory analysis.

Ostrich meat: Physico-chemical characteristics and comparison with turkey and bovine meat.

In several European countries ostrich breeding has now become quite common. In Italy this has also given rise to the need for regulations for the slaughtering of Ratites. The present work studies and compares the physico-chemical characteristics of the meat from the thigh of the ostrich with the same anatomical cuts of turkey and bovine. The ostrich meat muscle of the thigh was imported vacuum packed from Israel and France, the muscles considered were m. flexor cruris and m. iliofibularis. The turkey thighs were from the domestic market (supermarket) and the bovine muscle m. pectineus was from spent milking animals from an EEC slaughterhouse. Needless to say that the breeding, the feeding and the system of slaughtering could influence some parameters of the different kinds of meat; however these factors could not be assessed. Due to its tenderness, low fat content and cholesterol levels ostrich meat is, in accordance with modern-day nutritional principles, a valid alternative to other kinds of meat.

Cured products from different animal species

An assessment was made of the proximate composition, pH and a(W) of raw beef, horsemeat and the meat of wild boar, deer and goat. The same assessment, together with one of fatty acids, cholesterol and free amino acids, was made of the same meats as cured products. The raw meat of the different animal species was found to have a reduced lipid, but high protein content. The cured meat of the horse and wild boar had low saturated fatty acid levels; the wild boar, goatmeat and beef were quantitatively similar with regard to monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) while in the horsemeat the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were more raised, at an intermediate level in deer and extremely reduced in the beef final product. The cholesterol content in the cured product was markedly reduced in the horsemeat. The free amino acids content in the cured deer, wild boar and goat meat was more elevated, than in beef and horse cured meat.

Fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of caviar from farmed white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

The present study was conducted to characterize caviar obtained from farmed white sturgeons (Acipenser transmontanus) subjected to different dietary treatments. Twenty caviar samples from fish fed two experimental diets containing different dietary lipid sources have been analysed for chemical composition, fatty acids and flavour volatile compounds. Fatty acid make up of caviar was only minimally influenced by dietary fatty acid composition. Irrespective of dietary treatments, palmitic acid (16:0) and oleic acid (OA, 18:1 n-9) were the most abundant fatty acid followed by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) and eicopentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n-3). Thirty-three volatile compounds were isolated using simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE) and identified by GC-MS. The largest group of volatiles were represented by aldehydes with 20 compounds, representing the 60% of the total volatiles. n-Alkanals, 2-alkenals and 2,4-alkadienals are largely the main responsible for a wide range of flavours in caviar from farmed white surgeon.

Buffalo meat as a salted and cured product

Bresaola, a GPI product, is produced by salting and curing different cuts of the hindquarters of lean bovine meat. The use of buffalo meat to produce similar processed, cold-cut products demonstrated the possibility of transforming cuts of buffalo rump into a product similar to that of beef, even considering parameters that penalise the buffalo product like tenderness and colour.

Characterisation of a lard cured with spices and aromatic herbs

The study considered the proximate composition, pH, free acidity, MDA and peroxide values of a cured and ripened lard covered with spices and aromatic herbs, these latter parameters, due to lipolytic endoenzymatic phenomena, tended to increase until the end of the salting period. Throughout the production phases the bacterial load was very low. The final vacuum-packed product had a shelf-life of about 90 days and its fatty acid and cholesterol composition was typical of lard. A GC/MS study of the spices/herbs in the lard highlighted which components came from the spices/aromatic herbs and which came from phenomena due to lipolytic endoenzymatic processes.

Smoked tuna, sliced and vacuum packed, a relatively new product

ZusammenfassungEs wurde die Möglichkeit studiert, den geräucherten Thunfisch vakuumverpackt aufzubewahren. Die anschließend durchgeführten mikrobiologischen, chemischen und sensorischen Analysen bestätigten, daß die hygienischen Bedingungen und die Eigenschaften des Produktes nach einer Aufbewahrungszeit von 60 Tagen bei 5°C unverändert erhalten bleiben.SummaryThe possibility of storing vacuum packed, smoked and sliced tuna fish was studied. The microbiological and chemical analyses demonstrated that hygienic conditions and organoleptic properties remain unaltered after storage at 5° C for 60 days.