Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of biltong, a traditional salted dried meat of South Africa

•The physicochemical and microbial characteristics of biltong from SA were analysed.•These characteristics were correlated with the LAB and l- and d-lactic acid.•The occurrence of 2 major groups of biltong, dry and wet biltongs was demonstrated.•Data indicated occurrence of products with fermented and non-fermented properties.

The microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of several commercial beef, kudu and springbok biltong samples from South Africa were assessed in this study. Analysis of samples allowed their differentiation into 'dry' and 'moist' samples. Dry biltong showed low moisture content (21.5-25.3 g/100 g), a low water activity (0.65-0.68) and a high salt content (5.5-7.9 g/100 g), while moist biltong showed a higher moisture content (35.1-42.8 g/100 g), a higher water activity (0.85 to 0.89) and a lower salt content (3.8-5.6 g/100 g). The pH value did not vary significantly between both groups (5.00-6.26). The results showed that dry biltong presented a low total plate count (TPC) content, a high level of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and a high level of d-lactic acid as compared to moist biltong. These results suggest that dry biltong complies with the standard hygienic quality (TPC < 7 log cfu/g in agreement with the Food Standards Agency), while moist biltong samples generally showed a low content of d-lactic acid and a low ratio LAB/TPC.