Salt reduction in Homemade Slavonian Sausage: effect on compositional, physico-chemical, colour and texture parameters, sensory characteristics and hygienic quality

Sažetak Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati prihvatljivost domaćih slavonski kobasica sa smanjenim udjelom soli. Ispitan je učinak smanjenja udjela NaCl-a na senzorska, mikrobiološka i fizikalno-kemijska svojstva domaćih slavonskih kobasica. Senzorske analize i korelacijske matrice (multivarijatna metoda) su provedene kako bi se provjerilo percipiraju li senzorski analitičari utvrđene razlike između kontrolnog uzorka kobasice (2% NaCl) i kobasica sa smanjenim udjelima NaCl-a u fizikalno-kemijskim svojstvima, boji i teksturi. Prema rezultatima, može se pretpostaviti da smanjenje udjela NaCl-a utječe na povećanje broja enterobakterija i Staphylococcus aureus vrste, no ipak, svi su uzorci mikrobiološki ispravni prema važećim zakonskim propisima. Senzorska analiza je pokazala da panelisti ne osjete značajne razlike u pojedinim senzorskim svojstvima, no kada se uzmu u obzir faktori značajnosti pojedinih svojstava, uzorci se statistički značajno razlikuju prema ukupnoj ocjeni kvalitete. Najbolje ocjene će dobiti kobasice sa najvišim udjelom soli, najviše elastičnosti, najmanjeg udjela masti i kolagena. Najveća razlika između uzorka sa smanjenim udjelom soli za 40% i ostalih uzoraka, u svim pojedinačnim senzorskim svojstvima i ukupnoj ocjeni kvalitete, pokazuju da se smanjenje udjela soli ispod više od 30% ipak ne preporučuje.The aim of this study was to investigate acceptability of the Homemade Slavonian Sausage with reduced mass fraction of salt. The effect of reducing mass fractions of NaCl in some sensory, microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of Homemade Slavonian Sausage was evaluated. Sensory analysis and correlation analysis (multivariate method) was performed in order to check if the physicochemical, colour and texture differences found between control (2% NaCl) and sausages with decreasing mass fraction of NaCl were perceived by the sensory panel. According to results, it seems that reduction of NaCl affects the increase in the number of Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus aureus, but all samples were microbiologically safe according to current legislation. Sensory analysis showed that the panelists do not sense a significant difference in individual characteristics, but when you take into account the factors of significance of individual properties, the samples differ significantly in overall quality rating. The best grades will bee given to sausages with the highest mass fraction of salt, the highest springiness, the lowest mass fraction of fat and the lowest mass fraction of connective tissue. The biggest differences between the sample with 40% salt reduction and other samples in all the individual sensory characteristics and overall quality indicate that reduction of salt below more than 30% is still not recommended