Evaluation of Quality Characteristics of Commercial Fermented Sausages (Sucuk and Heat-Treated Sucuk)

The study aimed to evaluate the pH, water activity (aw), residual nitrite, lactic acid bacteria, Micrococcus/Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae and yeast-mould in fermented sausage samples from different firms. A total of 30 sucuk and 30 heat-treated sucuk samples were taken from 10 different brands with different batch numbers. According to analysis results, all samples, with the exception of some heat-treated sucuk samples from one brand, provided pH values that were within the permitted limit of regulation. For sucuk, mean aw value of only one brand was below 0.90, while aw values for heat-treated sucuk were in the range of 0.928 to 0.957. All samples had residual nitrite levels less than 15 mg/kg (in the range of 7.84-14.80 mg/kg). Yeast-mould and Enterobacteriaceae numbers were often below <2 log cfu/g. The number of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus showed a wide variation in both products which was <2 - 5.96 log cfu/g for sucuk and <2 - 7.85 log cfu/g for heat-treated sucuk. Lactic acid bacteria counts varied between 2-<4.0 log cfu/g in 40% of heat-treated sucuk samples. In sucuk, the number of lactic acid bacteria was <6 log cfu/g in 23.33% of the samples, and 6-<8 log cfu/g in 50% of the samples.