The aim of this study was to compare the microbiological quality of cooked sausages produced with a traditional salt content (2.1%) and reformulated batches with a salt content reduced to 1.7%. The reformulation was tested on two types of comminuted meat products – Špekáčky sausage with a diameter of up to 46 mm or Bologna-type sausages in diameter of 85 mm (Gothaj sausage) or 75 mm (Junior sausage). The total viable count (TVC) increased only slightly during the four-week storage (4 ± 1 °C) of all batches of Špekáčky sausage. Comparing batches 1.7 and 2.1, there is an evident difference in the number of CFU/g, with samples of Špekáčky 1.7 showing numbers of bacteria higher by approximately 1 logarithmic order throughout practically the entire storage period (P = 0.001). The population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) remained well beneath a value of 5.0 log CFU/g even at the end of the experiment. For Bologna-type sausages, the TVC was either beneath the limit of detection or at its boundary in all samples. LAB were not detected during storage of Bologna-type sausages. The results confirmed that the proportion of salt in cooked sausages can be reduced to 1.7% without negatively affecting the shelf life or safety of the final products.

Masaryk University Central European Institute of Technology Brno Czech Republic

University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology Department of Animal Origin Food and Gastronomic Sciences Brno Czech Republic

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