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Corresponding author.
TEL: 00351 213652880;
FAX: 00351 213652880;
EMAIL: mjoaofraqueza@fmv.ulisboa.pt
Received for Publication January 20, 2015
Accepted for Publication July 14, 2015
doi:10.1111/jfpp.12548
*These authors contributed equally to this
work.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of commercially available dry fermented sausages from different origins tracing their
nutritional composition and extrapolating their potential health benefits to consumers. There is a great diversity in sausages proximal composition since each
producer has their own formulation, type of manufacture and uses of pig genotype, with no differentiation regarding products origin or diameter. The mineral
contents of fermented sausages differ probably due to variations in raw materials
and products formulation as a consequence of natural mineral occurrence. In
addition, the principal component analysis of fatty acid composition clearly discriminates the origin of dry fermented sausages. From the nutritional point of
view, the fermented sausages provide 3740% total fat, 1314% saturated fat,
0.480.52% cholesterol as well as 0.030.10% -tocopherol, which are inside of
the dietary recommendations.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
In the present study, the results contribute to a better chemical characterization of
different dry fermented sausages, establishing a nutritional profile with reference
values for the industry that has to comply with a mandatory requirement (EU
Regulation 1169:2011) provides nutritional information on the food label to the
consumer in order to transmit quality confidence and reliability on meat products. Also, it contributes to a better understanding about cholesterol level in these
products, minimizing heath issues related to the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
INTRODUCTION
Dry fermented sausages, smoked or not, manufactured with
pork and/or lean beef account for a significant part of traditional processed meat products. These traditional products
are included in the regular diet of consumers, and Europe is
the major producer and consumer of fermented sausages
(Kurcubic et al. 2014). Mediterranean fermented meat
products are in global market due to their particular sensorial characteristics. The traditional fermented sausages are
characterized by small-scale production and are strongly
identified with a place or region of origin, being seasoned
and processed with traditional know-how, while the industrial adaptation of processes amplified the production but
with some lack of identity.
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Proximate Analysis
The proximate composition of fermented sausages was analyzed according to the methods as follows: moisture (ISO
1997), total ash (ISO 1998), crude protein (ISO 1978) and
crude lipid content (ISO 1973). The energy values of
samples were estimated in kcal/100 g using the Atwater
factors of crude lipids (9 kcal/g), crude protein and carbohydrates (4 kcal/g, respectively).
FA Analysis
The FA composition of the fermented sausages was determined as their fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) directly prepared from samples by a transesterification procedure
(OFallon et al. 2007) and analyzed by fast gasliquid
chromatography (Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus, Shimadzu,
Kyoto, Japan) equipped with flame ionization detector and
a SupraWax-280 capillary column (10 m, 0.10 mm i.d.,
0.10-m film thickness, Teknokroma, Barcelona, Spain).
Injector and detector temperatures were 250 and 280C,
respectively. Initial oven temperature of 120C was increased
at 35C/min to 175C and held for 0.5 min, then it was
increased at 70C/min to 260C and held for 6 min. Helium
was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Identification of FAME was achieved by comparison of the
FAME retention times with those of standards (FAME mix
37 components, Supelco, Inc., Bellefonte, PA) and by electron impact mass spectrometry using a Shimadzu GC-MS
QP2010 Plus (Shimadzu). The results for each FA were
expressed as a percentage of the sum of detected FA (g/100 g
of total FA). The contents of total saturated fatty acid (SFA),
monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated
fatty acid (PUFA) in 100 g of product were determined
taking into account the lipid conversion factors for pork
products (raw lean meat and fat), according to Anderson
(1976).
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characteristics Sausages
(diameter, cm) names/labels
Serbia
Low diameter
3.04.0
Serbia
High diameter
4.55.0
Usual ingredients
Sensorial characteristics
Average pH
and aw
Technological
characteristics
Ripening period
13 days,
Smoking period
58 days with
holm wood,
1 month of
curing
Ripening period
13 days,
smoking period
2 days with
holm wood,
curing 34
months
Ripening period
1 day, smoking
period 13
days, 3 weeks
of curing
Ripening period
1 day, smoking
period 13
days, 1 month
of curing
further analysis. All procedures were performed in triplicate, including the blank solutions (ISO 2005).
The samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometer (Varian AA240/GTA120, Mulgrave, Australia) with
deuterium background correction, equipped with graphite
furnace for electrothermal atomization. Argon was used as
the inert gas.
Statistical Analysis
Essential Micronutrients
Sausage samples (approximately 0.5 g) were placed in highpressure Teflon vessels, and 7 mL of HNO3 (69%) and 1 mL
of H2O2 (30%) were added for digestion of samples using a
microwave (Ethos One, Milestone, Italy) with segmented
rotor of high pressure (HPR-1000/10S) and internal temperature sensor. After digestion, samples were diluted with
Milli-Q water and transferred to a polypropylene vessel for
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
RESULTS
Proximate Analysis
Traditional fermented sausages were selected on the basis
of their composition and processing conditions so as to
encompass a broad representative sample of commercially
available meat products. The pH of Serbian sausages was
significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that of Portuguese sausages (Table 1). In Portuguese products, it was noticed that
the diameter significantly influenced the pH (P = 0.001),
with high diameter sausages presenting a lower mean value
LD
HD
HD
LD
100
g / 100 g
75
50
25
0
A
Portuguese sausages
Fat
LD
Serbian sausages
Protein
Moisture
Ash
HD
LD
HD
600
500
kcal / 100 g
400
300
200
100
0
A
Portuguese sausages
Serbian sausages
Energy
FIG. 1. PROXIMATE COMPOSITION (A) AND ENERGY (B) OF PORTUGUESE AND SERBIAN FERMENTED SAUSAGES OF LOW (LD) AND HIGH (HD)
DIAMETER
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
without significant differences between countries or sausages diameters. The content of ashes was not significantly
different (P > 0.05). Since both sausages have low carbohydrate content, fat and protein are the main principal components linked to the high energy values (436480 kcal/
100 g), with no diameter or origin effect.
FA Composition
Table 2 presents the comparison of the FA composition (%
total fatty acids) and partial sums of FA (g/100 g product)
of Portuguese and Serbian fermented sausages according to
their diameter characteristics. Major differences in the FA
composition of sausages were observed between the two
countries. From the 13 FA affected (P < 0.05) by country,
only the 10:0, 16:0, 16:1cis-9 and 18:1cis-9 were higher in
Portuguese sausages compared with Serbian, whereas the
TABLE 2. FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF PORTUGUESE AND SERBIAN FERMENTED SAUSAGES OF LOW (LD) AND HIGH (HD) DIAMETER
Origin
Portugal (n = 10)
Diameter
LD
Serbia (n = 10)
Contrast P value
HD
LD
HD
O*
D-PT
D-SER
0.08 0.005
0.09 0.006
1.51 0.076
0.02 0.020
0.04 0.011
26.6 0.51
3.32 0.177
0.33 0.031
11.8 0.37
49.1 0.92
5.24 1.04
0.27 0.072
0.12 0.010
0.82 0.070
0.20 0.037
0.04 0.006
0.23 0.027
0.06 0.012
0.05 0.011
nd
0.06 0.005
0.09 0.005
1.51 0.069
0.15
0.09 0.010
23.9 0.46
2.94 0.162
0.34 0.029
11.7 0.34
42.9 0.84
13.3 0.95
0.64 0.066
0.19 0.009
0.98 0.064
0.59 0.033
0.11 0.006
0.32 0.024
0.11 0.011
0.11 0.010
0.02
0.07 0.006
0.08 0.006
1.30 0.085
nd
0.06 0.012
23.5 0.57
2.53 0.198
0.33 0.035
11.8 0.41
41.5 1.03
15.5 1.16
0.73 0.080
0.17 0.011
0.82 0.078
0.63 0.041
0.14 0.007
0.39 0.031
0.10 0.013
0.16 0.013
0.03 0.005
0.030
0.582
0.707
<0.001
0.004
0.004
0.008
0.485
0.031
<0.001
<0.001
0.002
<0.001
0.883
<0.001
<0.001
0.002
0.100
<0.001
0.084
0.136
0.148
0.989
0.694
0.004
0.761
0.612
0.002
0.526
0.050
0.012
0.888
0.187
0.024
0.084
0.299
0.006
0.117
0.075
0.397
0.072
0.031
0.583
0.133
0.757
0.749
0.324
0.161
0.406
0.177
0.134
0.441
0.002
0.130
0.891
0.010
15.2 0.97
20.3 1.29
5.48 0.365
0.14 0.030
2.17 0.380
0.04 0.008
0.17 0.018
13.5 0.89
17.1 1.18
5.48 0.365
0.31 0.027
5.17 0.347
0.08 0.074
0.37 0.017
12.2 1.09
14.9 1.45
5.77 0.447
0.33 0.033
5.44 0.425
0.10 0.009
0.39 0.020
0.157
0.005
<0.001
0.001
<0.001
0.001
<0.001
0.193
0.983
0.047
0.011
0.058
0.033
0.035
0.336
0.244
0.625
0.652
0.635
0.223
0.477
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
6
5
Portuguese
sausages
4
3
Factor 2: 20.1%
1
0
-1
-2
-3
Q M
H
G
K
P
Serbian
sausages
-4
-5
-6
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
Factor 1: 44.3%
Essential Micronutrients
The mean values of the essential elements in fermented Portuguese and Serbian sausages are given in Table 3. Portuguese and Serbian sausages showed significant differences
(P < 0.05) in Cr, Fe and Mn contents. The Cr and Fe were
about three times higher in Portuguese sausages compared
6
DISCUSSION
The fermented sausages presented, in general, pH and aw
values in ranges that provide stability at ambient temperature conditions and safety for consumers (Fraqueza and
Barreto 2015). Serbian sausages presented a significantly
lower pH than the Portuguese probably influenced by the
sugar/dextrose added on Serbian fermented sausage formulation. This low pH could contribute to an acidity perception by Serbian consumers. In Portuguese sausages, it was
notice that the diameter influenced significantly the pH,
with HD sausages presenting lower values probably as a
consequence of a longer period of fermentation/curing
(about 34 months).
Protein content in Serbian and Portuguese sausages
(20.827.4%) satisfied the requested levels of quality guidelines (INSA 2006; OBRS 2012). Serbian sausages have less
than the double value of protein, being considered leaner
products. The higher values of fat in Portuguese and
Serbian sausages differ from the results presented by
Snchez-Zapata et al. (2013) for a similar Mediterranean
dry fermented sausage with equivalent levels of protein
(28.23%) and fat (29.52%). There is a great diversity in
proximal composition of the sausages analyzed since each
producer has their own formulation, type of manufacture
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
LD
HD
HD
LD
0.7
0.6
mg / g
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
A
Portuguese sausages
Serbian sausages
Cholesterol
LD
HD
LD
HD
25
g / g
20
15
10
0
A
Portuguese sausages
Serbian sausages
alpha-Tocopherol
FIG. 3. CHOLESTEROL (A) AND -TOCOPHEROL (B) CONTENTS OF PORTUGUESE AND SERBIAN FERMENTED SAUSAGES OF LOW (LD) AND HIGH
(HD) DIAMETER
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TABLE 3. MINERAL COMPOSITION (MG/KG) OF PORTUGUESE AND SERBIAN FERMENTED SAUSAGES OF LOW (LD) AND HIGH (HD) DIAMETER
Origin
Portugal (n = 10)
Diameter
Nickel (Ni)
Cobalt (Co)
Chromium (Cr)
Copper (Cu)
Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
LD
0.08 0.034
nd
0.09 0.014
1.66 0.269
197 35.6
0.59 0.524
Serbia (n = 10)
HD
0.06 0.034
nd
0.10 0.014
1.27 0.269
85.4 35.61
0.40 0.524
LD
0.07 0.032
nd
0.03 0.016
2.36 0.245
47.4 32.51
2.14 0.478
Contrast P value
HD
0.04 0.038
nd
0.02 0.015
1.48 0.301
38.9 39.81
1.79 0.586
O*
0.638
<0.001
0.115
0.015
0.014
D-PT
0.595
0.613
0.320
0.041
0.801
D-SER
0.495
0.649
0.037
0.872
0.647
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation (2015) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CONCLUSIONS
A great diversity in sausages proximal composition was
observed since each producer has its own formulation, type
of manufacture and use of pork breed, with no differentiation regarding products origin or diameter. The PCA
revealed that FA composition clearly distinguishes the
origin of dry fermented sausages. A daily consumption of
an average portion of 50 g of Portuguese or Serbian sausages would provide 18.720.2 g of total fat, 6.47.2 g of
saturated fat, 2426 mg of cholesterol, as well as 0.13
0.51 mg of -tocopherol. Regarding minerals (Mn, Cu and
Fe), diverse contents were present in Portuguese and
Serbian sausages due to variations in animal tissues as a
consequence of the occurrence of natural minerals in the
soil and products formulation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The results are part of Project No. 172050 supported by the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Serbia and of Project Agreement
FCT-6818 from the Scientific Bilateral Agreements between
Portugal and Republic of Serbia (20112012). Project
PRODER-PA No. 13017 from Ministrio da Agricultura, do
Mar, do Ambiente e do Ordenamento do Territrio IFAP
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