Microbiological and physicochemical characterization of dry-cured Halal goat meat. Effect of salting time and addition of olive oil and paprika covering
Introduction
Goat meat produced in Morocco is largely consumed fresh. Conversion of goat meat into a value-added Halal dry-cured product would further enhance the foreign exchange earnings. It is an intermediate moisture meat product made from different anatomical retail cuts, and the preparation method is similar to that used in dry-cured ham manufacturing. Consumers demand safe, additive-free food of high nutritional value. In this sense, a dry-cured Halal goat meat product is the best choice to enhance goat meat and produce a product without chemical additives.
Microorganisms gain access into meat from spices and other ingredients, from environment, from equipment and from handlers during processing affecting the microbiological status of the product (Sachindra, Sakhare, Yashoda, & Narasimha Rao, 2005). These microorganisms are in part responsible for the flavor and texture of the final products. They also inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms by decreasing the pH and competing for the nutrients (Schillinger & Lücke, 1990). But while pathogenic microorganisms would affect the safety, spoilage microorganisms would limit the shelf life of the meat product. Thus, an understanding of the microbial profile of dry-cured Halal goat meat is vital.
The two categories of bacteria that could play a significant role and are commonly found in meat products are lactic acid bacteria and Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci (Arkoudelos, Nychas, & Samaras, 1997). Lactic acid bacteria improve the safety and stability of the product, whereas Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci enhance color stability, prevent rancidity and release various aromatic substances (Coppola, Giagnacovo, Iorizzo, & Grazia, 1998). The type of microbiota that develops is closely related to the ripening technique utilized. Demeyer, Van Nevel, Teller, and Godeau (1986) suggested that with a short ripening time, there is more Lactobacillus from the early stages of fermentation. In contrast, with a longer maturation time, there are higher numbers of Staphylococcaceae.
The aims of the present study were to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of a dry-cured Halal goat meat product and to assess the effect of salting time and olive oil and paprika covering on salt, pH and water activity values as well as on bacterial diversity using both classical and molecular methods.
Section snippets
Manufacturing and sampling process
In order to carry out this study, 12 female goats were slaughtered according to the Muslim (Halal) way by severing the throat and major blood vessels in the neck. Thirty-six pieces were manufactured: 24 limbs (shoulders and legs; 1.26 ± 0.13 kg), and 12 ribs (front and back; 0.85 ± 0.14 kg). Raw pieces were absolutely homogeneous in size and shape. All pieces come from native breed goats of Northern Morocco (Mouley Abdesalem). The pieces were salted with an excess of coarse salt and placed in piles
Microbiological analysis and preliminary physiological characterization of isolates
Table 2 shows the results of microbiological analysis on different pieces (limbs and ribs) obtained at the end of the different manufacturing processes. The total viable mesophilic counts in batch A (0.4 days of salting/kg) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the values detected in batch B (0.6 days of salting/kg). The values detected in both batches were lower than those in Cecina de León (García, Zumalacárregui, & Díez, 1995) and, in the case of batch B, they were similar to those cited in
Conclusions
In this work, a simple technological process for dry-cured Halal goat meat elaboration was developed testing different salting times and the addition of a natural covering. In general, both salting times and the addition of an olive oil and paprika covering exhibited a significant effect on physicochemical parameters and on microbial counts and diversity. Microbiological analysis showed a reduction or absence of some kinds of bacteria in samples subjected to a longer salting time (0.6 salting
References (45)
- et al.
Rapid and reliable identification of Staphylococcus equorum by a species-specific PCR assay targeting the sodA gene
Systematic and Applied Microbiology
(2004) - et al.
Microbiology and physico-chemical changes of dry-cured ham during the post-salting stage as affected by partial replacement of NaCl by other salts
Meat Science
(2008) - et al.
Microbiological quality of “salchichón” and “chorizo”, traditional Iberian dry-fermented sausages from two different industries, inoculated with autochthonous starter cultures
Food Control
(2012) - et al.
Characterization of Lactobacilli involved in the ripening of soppressata molisana, a typical Southern Italy fermented sausage
Food Microbiology
(1998) - et al.
Microbial succession during ripening of Naples type salami, a Southern Italian fermented sausage
Meat Science
(2000) - et al.
Phenotypic and technological diversity of lactic acid bacteria and staphylococci isolated from traditionally fermented sausages in Southern Greece
Food Microbiology
(2007) - et al.
Monitoring the bacterial population dynamics during the ripening of Galician chorizo, a traditional dry fermented Spanish sausage
Food Microbiology
(2013) - et al.
Volatile profile and microbiological characterization of hollow defect in dry-cured ham
Meat Science
(2010) - et al.
Microbiological characteristics of “androlla”, a Spanish traditional pork sausage
Food Microbiology
(2007) - et al.
Microbial succession and identification of Micrococcaceae in dried beef “cecina”, an intermediate moisture meat product
Food Microbiology
(1995)
Characterisation of Micrococcaceae isolated from different varieties of “chorizo”
International Journal of Food Microbiology
Biochemical characterization of lactobacilli from dry fermented sausages
International Journal of Food Microbiology
Biodiversity of indigenous staphylococci of naturally fermented dry sausages and manufacturing environments of small-scale processing units
Food Microbiology
Study of the lactic acid bacteria throughout the manufacture of dry-cured lacón (a Spanish traditional meat product). Effect of some additives
Food Microbiology
Biochemical characteristics of dry cured “lacón” (a Spanish traditional meat product) throughout the manufacture, and sensorial properties of the final product. Effect of some additives
Food Control
Biochemical characteristics of dry-cured “lacón”
Food Chemistry
Isolation and technological properties of coagulase negative staphylococci from fermented sausages of Southern Italy
Meat Science
The effects of extended curing on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of “Cecina de León”
Meat Science
Microbial transglutaminase for cold set binding of unsalted/salted pork models and restructured dry ham
Meat Science
Influence of storage period and packaging method on sliced dry cured beef “Cecina de León”: Effects on microbiological, physicochemical and sensory quality
Meat Science
Microbial profile of buffalo sausage during processing and storage
Food Control
Comparative study of lactic acid bacteria house flora isolated in different varieties of “chorizo”
International Journal of Food Microbiology
Cited by (13)
Exploring the microbiological quality and safety of dry-aged beef: A cross-sectional study of loin surfaces during ripening and dry-aged beef steaks from commercial meat companies in Belgium
2022, Food MicrobiologyCitation Excerpt :In the present study, the period between the time of slaughter of the animals and the start of the dry-aging process varied between 0 and 18 days (average of 4 days; n = 36) ([dataset] Van Damme et al., 2020). Therefore, the contamination level of the carcasses and storage conditions of the loins prior to aging may also determine the levels of microorganisms during the production process (Cherroud et al., 2014). Ahnström et al. (2006) observed a decrease in the number of lactic acid bacteria and an increase in the number of yeasts with a longer ripening period.
Changes in thermoviscoelastic and biochemical properties of Atroncau blancu and roxu Afuega'l Pitu cheese (PDO) during ripening
2020, Food Research InternationalCitation Excerpt :This may be related to differences in the initial biochemical parameters of B and R cheeses and to those that emerged from the environmental conditions that prevailed during ripening, favouring selection during development of the microbiota (species specifically adapted to particular environmental conditions) (Cocconcelli, Fontana, Bassi, Gazzola, & Salvatorre, 2013). The proteolytic and lipolytic activity may therefore be lower in the selective microbiota developed in R. Furthermore, this could be favoured by the presence of paprika (highly concentrated at longer ripening time), which is attributed with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Cherroud et al., 2014; Pöhnl, 2016). Similar trends in the viscoelastic parameters were observed during ripening of both types of cheese (R and B).
Raw meat quality and salt levels affect the bacterial species diversity and community dynamics during the fermentation of pork mince
2020, Food MicrobiologyCitation Excerpt :In fermented meats, LAB are generally found in higher numbers than CNS and are more robust to changes in the fermentation processes (Lebert et al., 2007; Janssens et al., 2012; Aquilanti et al., 2016). Increased salting ameliorates the growth of CNS, meeting the fact that these bacteria are often associated with various high-salt fermented foods and, therefore, naturally adapted to high salt conditions (Blaiotta et al., 2004; Drosinos et al., 2007; Cherroud et al., 2014; Jeong et al., 2014; Laranjo et al., 2017). For instance, S. equorum and S. xylosus have been recovered from salt brines used for meat curing, which is an indication that they are salt-tolerant species (Cordero and Zumalacarregui, 2000).
Ethnic meat products of the North African and Mediterranean countries: An overview
2018, Journal of Ethnic FoodsCitation Excerpt :Consequently, the information in the scientific literature related to the meat products of these countries is very scarce and refers only to recipes described in few brief culinary books. In recent years, traditional food products including meat-based ones have been increasingly regaining consumer interest worldwide [15,16,19–23]. This would be because of their particular sensory properties, high quality, and natural composition [21,24,25].
Preliminary data on the microbial profile of dry and wet aged bovine meat obtained from different breeds in Sardinia
2023, Italian Journal of Food Safety