Abstract: The effects of fermentation conditions, namely fermentation temperature, inoculum amount and starter culture composition on physicochemical properties and sensory quality of pork jerky made from the rump meat of Hill-Black pigs was explored by determining pH, water activity (aw), total free amino acids, histamine, nitrite residue, protein composition, color, texture and sensory scores during the fermentation process. The results showed that the content of free amino acids, L* and a* increased gradually (P < 0.05) with the increase in the proportion of Staphylococcus xylose in the starter culture. With the increase in the proportion of Lactobacillus sakei subsp. sakei, pH and aw decreased, while hardness and chewability increased (P < 0.05). In the case of jerky fermented for 32 h, the increasing trend of histamine content slowed down, nitrite residue and elasticity decreased (P < 0.05), and hardness, chewability and a* increased gradually with the increase in inoculum amount (P < 0.05). Pork jerky with an inoculum amount of 107 CFU/g had the best sensory quality. Moreover, with the increase in fermentation temperature, pH, aw and nitrite residue showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, while the opposite trend was found for free amino acids, hardness, chewability, L* and a*. Therefore, the selection of suitable fermentation conditions can improve the color and texture of fermented pork jerky, increase the content of free amino acids, reduce nitrite residue and improve the safety of the product.

Key words: meat of Hill-Black pigs; fermented jerky; fermentation characteristics; physicochemical properties