Vacuum-packaging of ripened sausages: assessment of the sensorial and chemical characteristics and of the lipid fraction degradation

In order to determine the influence of vacuum-packaging on the sensorial characteristics and on the degradation of the sausages’ lipid fraction, vacuum-packaged ripened sausages were stored for forty days and compared with the same sausages before the packaging at the end of their ripening period. As regards the sensory properties, vacuum-packaged sausages showed, after the storage period, significantly lower mean scores of red intensity (p < 0.01), global flavour (p < 0.05) and ripened flavour (p < 0.001), thus indicating a minor overall appreciation by the panellists, while no significant differences were found in relation to the descriptors that are considered defects for this category of products. Moreover, the obtained data showed a significant increase of the oxidative and hydrolytic degradation during the storage in vacuum packaging