Nitrite-free sausage fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum at lower temperature

The processing technology of nitrite-free sausages fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum at lower temperature was studied using fresh meat as raw material.Based on the single factor experiments,the effects of inoculum,fermentation temperature and time on the sensory quality of sausage fermented by L.plantarumwere investigated by response surface method with Box-Behnkencentral composite design.The results indicated that the impacts of the three factors on sausage sensory quality could be sorted as: fermentation temperature fermentation timeinoculum size.The optimum fermentation conditions were determined as followings: inoculum 107cfu/g,fermentation temperature 21.5℃ and fermentation time 78h.Under above conditions,the sensory score of the sausage reached 91,which matched the predicted value well.The fermented sausage was fresh red with no nitrite residue.The flavors and qualitiesof the sausage were better than those fermented at higher temperature.This study is helpful for further improvement of the qualities and nutritive values of fermented sausages.