Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the potential use of deodorized mustard for the control of E. coli O157:H7 in Mennonite dry fermented sausages.
Methods: A ranking sensory tasting was done on Menonnite sausages manufactured with and without mustard. Summer sausages were then prepared under laboratory conditions. Two fermentation temperatures were tested for meat batters that were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 to yield approximately seven log CFU/g. The batters were manually forced into a 120 mm diameter fibrous casing to form one kilogram sausage sticks. The sausages were sealed and, then, hung on horizontal aluminum sticks and placed into a smoke chamber to continue fermentation and smoking. Sausages were dried under controlled conditions in environmental chambers.
Results: From an organoleptic standpoint, the concentration of mustard used in this study was determined based on data collected from 100 participants, which showed no significant differences in the taste of sausages prepared with and without mustard. This mustard concentration used, along with a fermentation temperature of 27°C and smoking at 29°C, led to a five-log reduction of E. coliO157:H7 after 21 days drying.
Significance: This study provided validation data to show that deodorized mustard can be used effectively to control E. coli O157:H7 in Mennonite dry fermented sausages. Once approved by Canadian regulatory authorities, the Mennonite community and other medium-size processors in Ontario will be able to use the validated process to comply with current regulations.