Rosa Prestes Dornelles

Sensitivity of food spoilage fungi to a smoke generator sanitizer

Smoke generator sanitizers are easy to handle and can access to hard-to-reach places. They are a promising alternative for controlling food and air borne fungi, which are known to cause losses in the bakery, meat, and dairy industries. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a smoke generator sanitizer based on orthophenylphenol against ten fungal species relevant to food spoilage. The tests were carried out according to the norms by the French protocol NF-T-72281, with adaptations specific for disinfectants diffused in the air. The tests were performed in an enclosed room of approximately 32 m3. Aspergillus brasiliensis (ATCC 16404), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), Aspergillus flavus (ATCC 9643), Aspergillus chevalieri (IMI 211382), Cladosporium cladosporioides (IMI 158517), Lichtheima corymbifera (CCT 4485), Mucor hiemalis (CCT 4561), Penicillium commune (CCT 7683), Penicillium polonicum (NGT 33/12), and Penicillium roqueforti (IMI 217568) were exposed to the smoke generator sanitizer for 7 h. The product was efficient against C. albicans and C. cladosporioides, although it was unable to reduce 4 log of the other tested species. The variable sensitivity of the fungal species to the sanitizer emphasizes the importance of confronting a target microorganism (causing problems in a specific food industry) with the sanitizer aiming to control it and obtain satisfactory results in hygiene programs.

Development of cooked and smoked chicken sausage with reduced sodium and fat

&NA; The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding collagen (0.5 to 1.0%) and the partial replacement of sodium chloride (0.25 to 1.0%) with a salt substitute mixture (50% KCl, 25% MgCl2, and 25% CaCl2), on the physicochemical characteristics and the rheological and technological properties of cooked and smoked chicken sausage with reduced fat and sodium. For the preparation of sausages, it was decided to use a 23 central composite design with 4 replications in the central point. The results indicated that the addition of collagen fiber and the substitution of salt by the proposed mixture significantly altered the moisture levels of the sausage as a result of higher or lower salt concentrations. The reformulation of the product directly affected the Aw, the final pH, and the level of sodium chloride, and it also led to significant changes in the texture of the product; however, these changes did not affect the sensory acceptance of the product. The best results were found for the F1 formulation (with 0.5% collagen fiber, 0.25% of mixture, and 0.25% of salt), which resulted in 53% reduction in fat and 29% reduction in sodium without compromising the hardness, chewiness, color, and sensory acceptance, when compared with the formulations with higher salt content. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the partial replacement of salt by the mixture (50% KCl, 25% MgCl2, and 25% CaCl2) and the partial replacement of fat by collagen were viable.