Evaluation of Different Starter Cultures in Dry Salami

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the influence of starter culture (fast and slow) on the technological process and the quality of dried salami. For each finished product were made the same analyzes: the fat content, protein, sodium chloride content, nitrite, and moisture content. Following the experimental research, it was found that for slow culture, higher values were obtained in the case of protein content (15.2%) and salt content (2.98%). In the case of fast culture, higher values were obtained for the following properties: moisture (38.32%), fat (29.57%), and nitrites (5.42 ppm). The evolution of the pH every 24 hours in the first 7 days was also monitored, and it can be noticed that after 6 days the pH reached the same value for both cultures (6.9) although initially in the case of slow starter cultures the pH was slightly higher.