Effect of sodium chloride reduction in dry fermented sausages on sensory parameters and instrumentally measured colour

Slobodan Lilic; Ivana Brankovic Lazic; Dragica Karan; Jelena Babic; Mirjana Lukic; Dragica Nikolic; Mladen Raseta

Slobodan Lilic Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Ivana Brankovic Lazic Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Dragica Karan Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Jelena Babic Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Mirjana Lukic Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Dragica Nikolic Institute of meat hygiene and technology
Mladen Raseta Institute of meat hygiene and technology

Keywords: sodium chloride, dry fermented sausages, sensory evaluation, colour

Abstract

Modern trends in human nutrition require decreasing the sodium chloride content in food due to several negative health impacts of excessive sodium intake from food. The goal of this study was to investigate the possibility of reducing the amount of sodium chloride used in the production of dry fermented sausages by using different salt mixtures to partially replace the sodium chloride. Control sausages were produced only with sodium chloride (3%), while sausages from other groups were produced by partially replacing sodium chloride with other salts in different amounts. In group 1 and 2 sausages, sodium chloride was partially replaced by potassium chloride and in group 3 and 4 sausages, sodium chloride was partially replaced by ammonium chloride.

Moderate reductions of sodium chloride in the dry fermented sausages by partial replacement with potassium chloride ( group 1) and with ammonium chloride (group 4) led to a slight reduction in saltiness, although this was still at an acceptable level. The overall acceptability of sausages from these groups was lower in relation to sausages from the control group, but despite that, their smell, colour and taste were at an acceptable level.

The most highly expressed bitterness was determined in group 2 and 3 sausages, and these were significantly more bitter than sausages from other groups. The use of different salt mixtures did not affect redness (a*) or yellowness (b*) in sausages, but led to greater expressed lightness in the sodium-adjusted sausages in comparison to sausages from the control group.