Razlike u mikoflori na ovitcima trajnih fermentiranih kobasica prije i sest mjeseci nakon skladistenja u hladnjaku

During the curing period of dry-fermented sausages, the surface mycoflora changes according to the environmental conditions and intrinsic factors, such as nutrient content, water activity, pH value and the presence of antimicrobial substances (starter cultures). In this study, 25 samples of dry-fermented sausages from Croatian family small holdings were examined, the casings peeled off and examined for mycobiota before and after six months of refrigerated storage in plastic bags, at +4 °C in darkness, at a low humidity and evaporation rate. For mycobiota identification, traditional (macroscopic and microscopic) and molecular (Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR) methods were combined. At the beginning of the study (after sausage curing), the prevalent isolated species were from the genera Penicillium (74%), Aspergillus 14% and Mucor (12%). After the six month period, a different mould structure was observed, with the dominant isolation of Aspergillus genus (64%), followed by the genera Penicillium (34%) and Mucor (2%). In comparison with the literature data, it can be concluded that the casing mycoflora on dry-fermented sausages stored in the refrigerator changed in the same way as if they not been refrigerated, though the process of mycoflora change was slower with refrigeration.