Effect of preservative addition on sensory and dynamic profile of Lucanian dry-sausages as assessed by quantitative descriptive analysis and temporal dominance of sensations

•Lucanian sausages were processed with or without preservatives.•Temporal Dominance of Sensations and quantitative descriptive analysis were used.•Higher and more persistent flavor was perceived in sausages with no preservatives.•Temporal Dominance of Sensations improved description and differentiation of sausages.

The quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was combined with temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) to assess the sensory properties of Lucanian dry-sausages either added with nitrate, nitrite and l-ascorbic acid (NS), or not (NNS). Both QDA and TDS differentiated the two groups of sausages. NNS products were perceived with higher intensity of hardness (P < 0.05) and tended to be perceived with higher intensities of flavor (P < 0.10), pepper (P < 0.20), and oiliness (P < 0.20), while resulting lower in chewiness (P < 0.20). TDS showed that in all the sausages hardness was the first dominant attribute; then, in NNS products flavor remained dominant until the end of tasting, whereas in NS products oiliness prevailed. In conclusion, TDS showed that the perception of some textural parameters, such as oiliness, during mastication was more dominant in NS products, whereas using conventional QDA this attribute appeared higher in sausages manufactured without preservatives. Therefore, TDS provided additional information for the description and differentiation of Lucanian sausages.