Impact of sodium lactate and vinegar derivatives on the quality of fresh Italian pork sausage links

•2.5% sodium lactate and vinegar/lactate mixture maintained consumer acceptability.•Logical to use 2.5% sodium lactate or 2.5% vinegar/sodium with 0.02% BHA/BHT.•BHA/BHT with 2.5% sodium lactate or 2.5% vinegar/lactate.•shelf-life and quality.•Combination of either lactate treatment with BHA/BHT increased shelf-life 3-4 days.

Sodium lactate and acetic acid derivatives were evaluated for their impact on fresh Italian pork sausage using commercial trimmings. Analysis over storage included total plate count (TPC), TBARS, sensory analysis, cooking loss, pH, and color. Treatments included: (a) vinegar and sodium lactate mixture (V), (b) sodium lactate (S), (c) positive control with BHA/BHT (B) and (d) negative control, seasoning only (C). Treatments S and V had lower TPC (P < 0.05) from days 5 to 14 when compared to B and C. TBARS values increased (P < 0.05) for C, S, and V while B did not change (P > 0.05) over time. While CIE a* surface values for redness generally decreased over storage time for all treatments, B maintained more redness. There were few major differences in descriptive sensory evaluation over time, but S and V precluded early onset of rancidity, oxidation and other off-flavors contrary to some of the analytical results. Of consumers tested, 85.6% rated all treatments between like slightly and like very much.