A Survey on the characteristics of sausage made from Sicilian and Sardinian native pigs

Four different mixtures were prepared using meat from native pigs. Mixtures 1 and 2 were made in Sardinia using
meat from pigs of Sarda breed, mixtures 3 and 4 in Sicily, using meat from the Nera Siciliana breed. The manufacturing
were different not only for the typology of the meat but also for the meat cuts used and the ingredients.
Batches 1 and 3 were made in non conditioned natural environments, while batches 2 and 4 in conditioned environments.
Chemical-physical and microbiological analyses were carried out on the fresh mixture, after 7 days of
ripening (end of drying in conditioned environment and at the end of seasoning (28 days). The thermoigrometric
environmental parameters and the variation in the weight of the production were measured during ripening.
Regarding the Lactic Acid Bacteria and theMicrococcaceae, microorganisms of normal maturation, a rapid development,
except for batch 1, was observed for all batches at 7 days of ripening. In batches 2 and 4 an increase ofEnterobacteriaceaein the drying phase and a their decrease in the seasoning phase were noticed. In batch 3 their
inactivation resulted slow. Such occurrences were probably due to the hygienic conditions and non inhibiting technological
parameters.The initial humidity was less than 60% with the exception of batch 3; the quantity of NaCl ranged between 2 and
2.8%. The amount of fat varied between 14 and 24% at the beginning of the ripening, then reached values ranging
between of 20 and 38% at the end of the seasoning phase. All the batches showed a decrease of aw included between
0.97 (mixture) and 0.87 (final product); the highest value of aw recorded in test 1 was attributable to the lower T
recorded both during the drying and seasoning phase.The pH reached the lowest values at the end of the 7 days and then increased, with the exception of batch 3, which
decreased during the whole seasoning phase.