Relevant Parameters Responsible for the Durability of Vacu-um-Packaged Cooked Sausage: Initial Microbial Load, Water Activity, and Storage Temperature

This study aimed to investigate relevant microbiological parameters that may impact cooked sausage spoilage, such as temperature, initial microbial load, and water activity (aw), under vacuum packaging conditions. The natural microbiota growth was induced by pair incubation of sausages at different temperatures. The microbial growth predictor MicroLab_ShelfLife was used to obtain the kinetic growth curves. Moreover, Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) were applied to evaluate those variables’ effects on sausages’ durability. Although all evaluated parameters had an impact on the sausage deterioration process, the results showed the greatest influence of temperature, followed by the initial microbial load and aw, respectively. However, since all those factors play a role in sausage spoilage, their proper management is mandatory to enhance sausages’ durability, avoiding food waste and economic losses.