Effect of cranberry pomace on the physicochemical properties and inactivation of during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages.

The effect of cranberry pomace (CP) incorporation on serovars inactivation, starter culture population, and physicochemical properties of sausages during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages (DFS) was studied. Sausages containing a five-strain cocktail of serovars at 7-log CFU/g, with different levels of CP (control, 0%; low, 0.55%; medium, 1.70%; high, 2.25% wt/wt), or liquid lactic acid (0.33% vol/wt, LA) were subjected to typical fermentation and drying conditions. A significant ( < 0.05) reduction in initial pH was observed in all CP treatments on day 0 as a result of CP native acidity. All treatments except low CP showed a significantly lower pH than the control throughout the study. Water activity (a) was not significantly affected by CP level during fermentation. However, sausages containing medium and high CP levels showed a significantly lower final product a than the control. DFS with CP exhibited a significantly ( < 0.05) faster and greater inactivation during the first 5 days; reduction rate and level directly correlated to CP level. In the presence of medium and high levels of CP, spp. growth was suppressed, while spp. and spp. exhibited a stimulatory response. All treatments except low CP had no significant effect on product chemical composition, and Moisture Protein ratio (MPr). Low CP level yielded DFS with a slightly higher ( < 0.05) moisture content and MPr. Medium and high CP levels resulted in darker, duller and redder DFS with a softer texture. Findings suggest that low CP levels can be utilized by DFS manufacturers as a natural functional ingredient to further minimize the risk associated with during DFS production without altering final product characteristics.