Description and Incidence of Anomalous Colorations in Salad Bovine Sausages ready for Marketing

Abstract

Here, we describe anomalous colorations in salted bovine casings packed in brine in plastic tubs ready for marketing. We also analyzed their incidence. For this, in the course of three years, a research was conducted in three Uruguayan trip shops. In such period, more than 5350 pots were inspected in order to identify the presence or absence of altered casings, features, investigate what was done with them 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 establishments studied. Anomalous colorations were red, orange and purple; regarding odor, most altered casings had an unpleasant and disgusting odor and with respect to touch, altered casings showed a viscous slime, being rough to touch. We observed colorations in salt and brine from the surface of the pots with only 20 days of storage and up to a year and a half. A low incidence of the problem was found, between 2.3% and 3%. The alterations found coincide with similar changes described in foods produced by halophilic archae. Industrial food grade salt is the only additive added to bovine casings, being an element income of cross-contamination by microorganisms’ halophilic archae.