Spontaneously growing fungi on the surface and processing areas of matured sheep ham and volatile compounds produced.

Raw ham is a dried and matured product traditionally made from pork leg, but other animals, such as sheep, can be used. The natural presence of bacteria and fungi in this product influences its characteristics throughout the process. This study analysed the fungal populations present during raw sheep hams' processing. Two types of products were developed: without and with the addition of seasonings. Mycological analyses were carried out from the ingredients, seasonings, facilities air, as well as on the surfaces of the hams and the air in the chamber throughout the maturation period (0, 45, 90, and 180 days) using 18 % dichloran glycerol agar and the data were submitted to Principal Component Analysis. Volatile compounds were evaluated at the end of the sheep ham manufacturing process through a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. At 45 days of aging, a more remarkable similarity was observed between the fungi present on the non-seasoned hams and those in the ripening chamber's air, while the seasoned hams showed a more evident relation with those fungi present in the spices. With time, the fungi in the air of the ripening chamber started to be influenced by Aspergillus ser. Aspergillus and Aspergillus ser. Rubri already installed in the seasoned hams at 45 days, and then it probably dispersed the non-seasoned ones due to the airborne spores, becoming the most prevalent in both treatments at 90 days. At the end of ripening, the mycobiota of both raw hams was composed mainly by xerophilic species of Aspergillus section Aspergillus. The total fungal count was 5.78 log CFU/cm2 for the non-seasoned and 7.19 log CFU/cm2 for the seasoned ones. A potentially ochratoxigenic Aspergillus ser. Circumdati was detected at the end of aging in raw, unseasoned hams. In conclusion, seasoning directly influences the species developing on the surface of seasoned hams throughout the ripening process, and indirectly affects the mycobiota of the non-seasoned hams when sharing the same ripening chamber. The presence of fungi in the matured sheep ham seems to contribute to the formation of volatile compounds, which are related to the sensory quality of these products.

Main animal fat replacers for the manufacture of healthy processed meat products.

The technological, sensory, and nutritional characteristics of meat products are directly related to their animal fat content. Adding animal fat to meat products significantly influences their sensory properties, such as color, taste, and aroma. In addition, the physicochemical properties of fat decisively contribute to the texture of meat products, playing a fundamental role in improving the properties of viscosity, creaminess, chewiness, cohesiveness, and hardness. However, meat products' high animal fat content makes them detrimental to a healthy diet. Therefore, reducing the fat content of meat products is an urgent need, but it is a challenge for researchers and the meat industry. The fat reduction in meat products without compromising the product's quality and with minor impacts on the production costs is not a simple task. Thus, strategies to reduce the fat content of meat products should be studied with caution. During the last decades, several fat replacers were tested, but among all of them, the use of flours and fibers, hydrocolloids, mushrooms, and some animal proteins (such as whey and collagen) presented promising results. Additionally, multiple strategies to gel oils of vegetable origin are also a current topic of study, and these have certain advantages such as their appearance (attempts to imitate animal fat), while also improving the nutritional profile of the lipid fraction of the products meat. However, each of these fat substitutes has both advantages and limitations in their use, which will be discussed in subsequent sections. Therefore, due to the growing interest in this issue, this review focuses on the main substitutes for animal fat used in the production of meat products, offering detailed and updated information on the latest discoveries and advances in this area.

Influence of type, concentration, exposure time, temperature, and presence of organic load on the antifungal efficacy of industrial sanitizers against Aspergillus brasiliensis (ATCC 16404).

Parameters such as type and concentration of the active compound, exposure time, application temperature, and organic load presence influence the antimicrobial action of sanitizers, although there is little data in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of different chemical sanitizers under different conditions according to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Aspergillus brasiliensis (ATCC 16404) was exposed to four compounds (benzalkonium chloride, iodine, peracetic acid, and sodium hypochlorite) at two different concentrations (minimum and maximum described on the product label), different exposure times (5, 10, and 15 min), temperatures (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C), and the presence or absence of an organic load. All parameters, including the type of sanitizer, influenced the antifungal efficacy of the tested compounds. Peracetic acid and benzalkonium chloride were the best antifungal sanitizers. The efficacy of peracetic acid increased as temperatures rose, although the opposite effect was observed for benzalkonium chloride. Sodium hypochlorite was ineffective under all tested conditions. In general, 5 min of sanitizer exposure is not enough and >10 min are necessary for effective fungal inactivation. The presence of organic load reduced sanitizer efficacy in most of the tested situations, and when comparing the efficacy of each compound in the presence and absence of an organic load, a difference of up to 1.5 log CFU was observed. The lowest concentration recommended on the sanitizer label is ineffective for 99.9% fungal inactivation, even at the highest exposure time (15 min) or under the best conditions of temperature and organic load absence. Knowledge of the influence exerted by these parameters contributes to successful hygiene since the person responsible for the sanitization process in the food facility can select and apply a certain compound in the most favorable conditions for maximum antifungal efficacy.