Abstract: The effects of different salt addition on the quality and storage characteristics of Harbin red sausages were investigated. Sausages were prepared with different contents of salt (3.00%, 2.75%, 2.50%, 2.25% and 2.00%), vacuum packaged, and stored at 4 ℃ for up to 35 days. Physiochemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the sausages were analyzed during the storage period. The results showed that with a decrease in salt content, the pH of Harbin red sausages increased significantly (P < 0.05), the moisture content and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value increased, the a* value decreased but not significantly (P > 0.05), and the b* value increased slightly. At the end of storage (35th day), the L* value of the sausage with 3.00% salt was significantly lower than that of the sausage with 2.00% salt (P < 0.05). In addition, the sausages with high salt contents (3.00%, 2.75% and 2.50%) showed higher hardness and tightness, and lower total viable count throughout the storage period. The results of electronic tongue showed that with an increase in storage time, the sourness, saltiness, and aftertaste B (aftertaste bitterness) of Harbin red sausage, irrespective of its salt content, increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the umami taste decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the sausage with 2.00% salt, the flavor characteristics of the sausages with 2.50% and 3.00% salt were more similar. The sensory evaluation results showed that the sausage with 2.50% salt had moderate saltiness and the highest overall acceptability score among all samples.

Key words: Harbin red sausage; direct salt reduction; quality characteristics; storage characteristics