Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate microfloral characteristics and physicochemical properties of Harbin red
sausage as a function of storage temperature and duration. The changes in total number of colonies and lactic acid bacteria,
Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus quantities were studied, and sensory attributes, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances
(TBARS) value, a* value, L* value and textural properties were also evaluated when red sausages were stored at 4 ℃ or room
temperature ((20 ± 2) ℃) for different days from 0 to 6 d. The total number of colonies increased fastest during the first two days,
and after 6 days of storage at room temperature, both this parameter and Staphylococcus count in red sausages were significantly
higher than at 4 ℃ (P ＜ 0.05). The numbers of lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonas reached the highest levels on day 6, and
Pseudomonas increased to 5.1 and 6.2 (lg(CFU/g)) at 4 ℃ and room temperature, respectively. Meanwhile, the sensory quality
and pH value decreased gradually with increased storage time, whereas TBARS significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05). However,
neither a* value nor L* value showed significant change. The hardness and chewiness increased gradually, while elasticity and
cohesiveness showed a little change. These results reveal that Pseudomonas and lactic acid bacteria are the predominant spoilage
bacteria at 6 d of storage and that red sausage quality decreased with increased storage time.

Key words: Harbin red sausage, microflora, physical and chemical properties, sensory quality