Physicochemical, hygienic and organoleptic characterization of Slavonian kulen Physicochemical, hygienic and organoleptic characterization of Slavonian kulen ;/"/457&/04536ė/*%*0 ance, surface smell, consistency, in- Physicochemical, hygienic ner smell, cross section quality, tex- ture, taste and aroma and aftertaste. and organoleptic characterization Based on mean score of the particu- lar organoleptic characteristic and of Slavonian kulen the coefficient of importance for that particular attribute, the overall qual- ity was calculated by the following Karolyi, D. 1 formula: scientific paper 0WFSBMMRVBMJUZY B C D E F G H I Summary where a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h are the Slavonian kulen (SK) is traditional dry sausage produced in the region of Slavonia in eastern Croatia. It is made from mince of pork, back fat, spices and salt filled into pork cecum. After stuffing, the sausages are cold-smoked and ripened-dried afterward for several mean scores of evaluator’s assess- months. Present work aimed to analyse some physicochemical and organoleptic traits of ripe SK as well as the safety of final product. ments for: surface appearance, sur- The SK samples (n=12) from different small-scale manufactures were analysed. The following physicochemical attributes (mean ± face smell, consistency, inner smell, s.d.) were recorded: moisture 38.2%±3.6, protein 35.0%±3.1, fat 23.7%±4.6, moisture/protein ratio 1.1±0.1, pH value 5.37±0.23 and cross section quality, texture, taste water activity (aw) 0.82±0.02. Mean organoleptic scores, on five-point scale, were 3.7±0.6 for surface appearance, 3.4±0.6 for surface and aroma, and after-taste, respec- smell, 3.8±0.5 for consistency, 3.2±0.4 for inner smell, 3.0±0.7 for cross section quality, 3.3±0.5 for texture, 3.1±0.4 for taste and aroma, 3.0±0.5 for after taste and 3.2±0.4 for overall quality. Regarding the product safety, the following results (per kg) were determined: tively. During the evaluation, the as- histamine 330.8 mg±126.3, tyramine 233.9 mg±124.7, nitrite 6.55 mg±3.88 and benzo(a)pyrene 0.05 μg±0.03. Salmonella spp. and sessors were offered fresh water and L. monocytogenes have not been found in any sample while counts of S. aureus, enterobacteria and sulfite-reducing clostridia were apple slices freely. in accordance with regulations. Key words: dry sausages, Slavonian kulen, physicochemical traits, safety For variables analysed the descrip- tive statistics (minimum, maximum, Introduction tribute to diversity of product qual- kept in cool until the analyses. The mean, SD - standard deviation, and The Slavonian kulen (SK) is a tra- ity. As a result, the characteristics of pH values were measured by TESTO CV - coefficient of variation) were cal- ditional pork sausage from Slavonia final product including its safety may Q)NFUFS 5&450¥ (FSNBOZ CZ culated by PROC MEANS procedure region in eastern Croatia that is pro- vary, as between producers, so be- insertion of penetration electrode PG4"4 duced seasonally at many house- tween the years. (type 13) in the core of halved sau- holds and small-scale manufactures. sage. Water activity (aw) was meas- Results and discussion It is made from a mixture of selected The aim of the present work was ured with the HygroPalm AW1 SET The results of organoleptic assess- and minced pork and back fat, salt to investigate some physicochemical JOTUSVNFOU 30530/*$¥ (FSNBOZ ment, physicochemical and hygienic and spices such as paprika and gar- and organoleptic attributes of tradi- using Aw Quick mode in samples, parameters, and microbiological lic filled into pork blind gut ( cecum ). tional SK sausage, in order to char- which were taken after coarse ho- Figure 1 Schema of traditional manufacturing processes of Slavonian kulen sau- analysis of SK are shown in Tables 1, After stuffing, the SK is cold smoked acterize it better. In addition, some NPHFOJTBUJPOPGHPGUIFDPSFPG sage BOE SFTQFDUJWFMZ and ripened-dried afterward for sev- parameters of hygienic quality and the sausage. Chemical and micro- eral months until the shelf-stability safety of the final product were as- biological analyses were performed according to the procedure de- determination of benzo( a)pyrene The SK of good organoleptic and typical organoleptic properties sessed. in the Croatian National Institute TDSJCFECZ.BDBOFUBM /JUSJUF (B aP) using the thin-layer chroma- quality should be well-stuffed with are achieved. The quality of SK can for Public Health, Zagreb. The deter- content was determined according tography and spectrophotometer. brownish, mildly smoked surface. be influenced by various factors, like Material and methods mination of moisture was done by UP"OPOZNPVT 5IFNJDSPCJBM The consistency should be firm but pig breed, rearing and feeding con- Twelve ripe SK sausages aged IFBUJOH UIF TBNQMFT BU ¡$ VOUJM safety of product was assessed by Organoleptic evaluation of sam- not too hard, allowing a good slice- ditions, pre-slaughter handling and BCPVUNPOUITXFSFTBNQMFEGSPN the constant weight. The nitrogen the determination of the presence of ples was carried out by four assessors ability. When sliced, SK should have a post-slaughter conditions which all different small-scale manufactures (N) content was determined by Du- Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocy- (Faculty Department staff) familiar pleasant smell after fermented meat, affect raw pork quality. Several other in Slavonia. All SK sausages were mas method and proximate protein togenes and the number of Staphy- with organoleptic evaluation of ku- added spices and mild-smoke. Cross- factors, like selection of lean meat produced traditionally following the DPOUFOU XBTDBMDVMBUFEVTJOHUIF lococcus aureus , enterobacteria and len. Each assessor was served with section should have coherent tex- and fat, addition of salt and spices, similar manufacturing steps and us- DPOWFSTJPOGBDUPSPGY/$SVEF sulfite-reducing clostridia according one freshly cut slice of sample sau- ture with proper distribution of meat hygiene and environment (i.e. tem- ing the same type of ingredients as GBU XBT BOBMZTFE CZ FYUSBDUJPO UP"OPOZNPVT B B TBHF BCPVUDNUIJDL POBXIJUF and fat particles. Lean parts should perature, humidity, air velocity) dur- presented in scheme in Figure 1. VTJOH UIF 8FJCVMMo4UPMEU NFUIPE BOE C SFTQFDUJWFMZ 4VS - plastic plate for tasting, whereas the be more or less intense red and fat ing fermentation, smoking, drying Histamine and tyramine were ana- face moulds were isolated according rest of the sausage half was exposed should be white to orange (from pa- and ripening may additionally con- After collecting, samples were lysed by thin-layer chromatography UP UIF "OPOZNPVT *O BEEJ - for visual inspection and touch. prika). Chewing should be easy with tion, the contamination by polycyclic They were asked to evaluate on a characteristic long-lasting taste and 1 Danijel Karolyi, PhD , assistant professor, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb, Department of animal science, Svetosimunska 25, Zagreb, Croatia, e-mail: dka- aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was as- scale from 1 (minimum grade) to 5 aroma of fermented seasoned pork. [email protected] sessed on sub-sample (n=5) by the (maximum grade) surface appear- In the present organoleptic evalua- 456 .&40 Vol. XIII [2011] | studeni - proinac | broj 6 www.meso.hr .&40 457 Physicochemical, hygienic and organoleptic characterization of Slavonian kulen Physicochemical, hygienic and organoleptic characterization of Slavonian kulen ;/"/457&/04536ė/*%*0 tion of SK (Table 1), the highest vari- Table 1 Descriptive statistics for organoleptic traits of Slavonian kulen sausages tent was also reported in other types clearly distinguished as dry sausage. 5BCMF PCTFSWFE JO MBSHF TJ[FE ability was found for cross section Trait Min Max Mean SD CV (%) of traditional sausages (Ambrosiadis MPOH SJQFOFE 4, ɋ NHLH JO RVBMJUZ $7 XIJMFHSBEFTGPS Surface appearance FUBM 'FSSFJSBFUBM 5IF The SK is traditionally manufac- PG UIF TBNQMFT -BSHF EJBNFUFS the other traits varied similarly with BWFSBHF WBMVF PG NPJTUVSF tured without nitrogenous salts. In and prolonged ripening of SK may Surface smell quite uniform overall quality. The found in SK was higher than those meat curing, nitrite is widely used also be responsible, at least partly Consistency 3.8 highest graded traits were consist- DJUFECZ4BMHBEPFUBM GPSEJG - for antibacterial, colour and antioxi- for the high accumulation of hista- Inner smell 3.8 ency and surface appearance, and ferent varieties of Chorizo and other dant purposes, often in combination NJOFPCTFSWFE ɋNHLHJONPSF the lowest graded were cross-section Cross section quality 1.5 Spanish traditional sausages that with nitrate which act as a source of UIBOPGUIFTBNQMFT )PXFWFS quality and after-taste. Texture 3.3 could be explained by large diam- nitrite in long curing process. When histamine is rarely found in ferment- Taste and aroma 3.1 eter of SK. Compared to the sausage only salt is used for the fermentation, ed sausages manufactured under The CV of both aw and pH values After taste 3.8 15.5 of similar size and maturing period, there is a greater microbial risk. On proper hygienic conditions and the 5BCMF XIJDIBSFDPNNPOMZVTFE Overall quality like Majorcan sobrasada (Rosselló the other hand, high intake of nitrite occurrence of excessive levels of this in terms of shelf life and safety of SD - standard deviation, Min. - minimum, Max. - maximum, C.V. - coefficient of variability FU BM .BSUÓOF[ FU BM presents a risk to human health due biogenic amine is rather an indicator ESZTBVTBHFT *OD[F XBTWFSZ the moisture content of SK was also to its direct toxicity, or through the of defective hygienic conditions of low revealing the homogeneity of 5BCMF Descriptive statistics for physicochemical and hygienic quality traits of Slavonian ku- higher, probably due to much higher endogenous formation of carcino- raw materials and/or manufacturing SK for these parameters. This result len sausages amount of fat used in Majorcan so- HFOJDOJUSPTBNJOFT 4FCSBOFL QSPDFTTFT 7JEBM$BSPV FU BM is in agreement with those reported Trait Min Max Mean SD CV (%) brasada preparation.