The effect of paprika, garlic and salt on rancidity in dry sausages.

Eight batches of ground fat and eight batches of a mixture of meat and fat (70 and 30%, respectively), were prepared by adding salt, paprika and garlic, in the proportions used for making chorizo - a dry fermented sausage - stuffed into natural casings and then ripened. The evolution of rancidity in these products was evaluated by means of total free fatty acid content, peroxide value and TBARS during the ripening period. Spanish paprika and salt showed antioxidant and prooxidant properties, respectively. Paprika was even able to inhibit the prooxidant effect of salt. Also, four batches of chorizo were made to compare the antioxidant effect of the spices (garlic and paprika) with a mixture of nitrate, nitrite and ascorbic acid. In this respect, paprika and garlic were as effective as the mixture of additives in inhibiting lipid oxidation.

Taste compounds in chorizo and their changes during ripening.

Taste compounds in chorizo-a dry fermented sausage-prepared by both traditional and industrial methods, i.e. D- and L-lactic acid, acetic acid, free amino acids and ATP derivatives, were analysed. Industrial chorizo contained larger amounts of D-lactic, L-lactic and acetic acids, several amino acids (e.g. γ-aminobutyric acid, phenylalanine) and hypoxanthine (Hx) than the traditional one (p < 0.05). The variations in taste compounds during the ripening of chorizo were tracked. D-Lactic and acetic acid increased, as well as most of the amino acids. ATP derivatives showed characteristic changes, IMP decreased on the first day and inosine (Ino) changed gradually to Hx during ripening. The taste compounds contents of garlic and paprika were studied. There was an important contribution of asparagine from spices to the initial mixture of sausage.