INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CASINGS ON SALAMI PRODUCED WITH MEAT FROM BUFFALO AND PODOLIAN CATTLE

The effect of different casings on the quality of new types of salami from buffalo and Podolian young bull meat was investigated. To this aim, three casings were used: a natural casing (NC), a modified natural casing (MNC) and a synthetic casing (SC). Their effects on processed meat were analyzed by evaluating salami quality at the end of the ripening time. Nutritional properties, microbial loads, pH, color parameters, texture and sensory properties were assessed. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the casings were measured. Results highlighted that both meat were suitable to produce salami; better results in terms of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were recorded with Podolian meat. The NC and the SC exerted similar mechanical properties, very different from those of the MNC. The superior properties of the NC in terms of texture and color characteristics conferred to the fermented sausages could allow suggesting this casing as the most recommended solution to package unusual salami.