Effect of red wine in dry fermented sausages produced with a starter culture for improving their quality and safety

The use of strategies aimed at the improvement of the quality and safety of dry fermented meat products through a scientific re-assessment of some original ingredients in their formulations, one of them being wine, is an approach strongly supported by consumers. The aim of the present study was to determine and evaluate the effect of red wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon variety in combination with a starter culture including Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus carnosus ssp. on the quality characteristics of a dry sausage. The experiments were made using three groups of samples formulated with 25 mL and 50 mL of wine per kg of meat. The effect of the wine addition on the physicochemical and microbiological changes and the texture and sensory properties of the finished product was investigated. A trend to a faster decrease in the aw and residual nitrite values was observed in the wine-containing samples. The highest hardness values were recorded through texture profile analysis in the wine-free samples, and the lowest values in samples with 50 ml of wine per kg of meat. The increase in the wine quantity from 25 to 50 mL led to lower sensory scores given to colour compared to the control sample.