Impact of Debaryomyces hansenii strains inoculation on the quality of slow dry-cured fermented sausages

• Two D. hansenii strains, M4 and P2, were inoculated in fermented sausages.
• Implantation was followed by M13 minisatellite PCR amplification patterns.
• Inoculated yeast strains were recovered at the end of the process.
• D. hansenii strains affected lipid oxidation process and volatile compound generation.
• D. hansenii did not affect consumer acceptance.

Debaryomyces hansenii strains, M4 and P2, isolated from natural fermented sausages were inoculated in slow fermented sausages to study their effect on processing parameters, microbial population, volatile compound and sensory characteristics. The inoculation of D. hansenii strains, M4 and P2, did not affect the ripening process as no differences in pH and Aw were detected. The dominance of the inoculated yeast strains along the process was followed by RAPDs of M13 minisatellite. The inoculated yeasts, P2 and M4, were recovered at the end of the ripening process although P2 appeared in higher counts than M4. The sausages inoculated with P2 resulted in a decrease in lipid oxidation values (TBARS) and a reduction of lipid-oxidation derived aldehydes in addition to a highest acid compound abundance. M4 inoculated sausages resulted in highest sulphur containing compound abundance. However, no differences in consumer acceptance were detected. Moreover, both yeast strains were responsible for the generation of ethyl methyl-branched ester compounds in the dry-cured sausages.