Combined use of a probiotic culture and citrus fiber in a traditional sausage ‘Longaniza de Pascua’

Combined use of Lactobacillus casei CECT 475 and orange fiber for the production of Spanish non-fermented dry-cured sausage (Longaniza de Pascua) was studied. Quality and safety characteristics of four “Longaniza de Pascua” types (control, 1% fiber, L. casei and 1% fiber + L. casei) were evaluated during 8 days of dry-curing. At the end of the dry-curing process pH of all types of sausages was higher than pH 5.3 and water activity was below Aw 0.91. The incorporation of 1% orange fiber favored the growth of lactic acid bacteria. The addition of orange fiber and L. casei CECT 475 accelerated the decline in pH and the release of organic acids and glycerol. Sausages containing both orange fiber and L. casei CECT 475 obtained the best sensory scores and provided the best guarantees of food safety, low pH and water activity, decreased counts of Enterobacteria and reduced residual nitrite compared to the other type of sausages.