Journal of Food: Microbiology, Safety & Hygiene
Open Access
ISSN: 2476-2059
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2476-2059
+44 1478 350008
Cristina Lopez, Bertacchi M, Pagan M and Gil A
Veterinary College, Uruguay
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Food Microbiol Saf Hyg
Natural casings are defined as tubular sheaths derived from the intestine (bovines, ovine, pigs or horses). Clean casings are classified and salted manually with sodium chloride (NaCl), then packed in plastic containers. Salted bovine casings are used in the production of sausages. In the salt, controls are performed on drying process, presence of foreign contaminants and halophilic archaea. We describe anomalous colorations in salted bovine in brine packed in plastic containers ready for commercialization. We also analyzed their incidence in the course of three years; a research was conducted in three processors casing in Uruguay. In such period 5350 containers were inspected to identify the presence or absence of altered casings and quantify the problem. A sensory inspection of casings was performed considering acceptable parameters such as white to cream color, sui generis odor and soft texture. Casings with altered characteristics were found in the three companies studied. Anomalous colorations were red, orange and purple. The altered casings had an unpleasant odor and a viscous slime, being rough to touch. We observed anomalous colorations in salt and brine in the surface of the containers with only 20 days of storage and up to a year and half. This problem has an incidence between 2.3% and 3%. The alterations are produced by halophilic archaea. Industrial salt of food grade is the only additive added to bovine casings, being an element income of cross contamination by microorganisms (halophilic archaea).
Cristina Lopez is currently working as Doctor of Medicine and Veterinary Technology at Uruguay. She has done specialization in Food Safety and Agri-Food Quality, Argentina. She also worked as Professor of Meat Science and Technology, Veterinary College, Uruguay and Professor of Food Microbiology.