Abstract

BECERRIL SANCHEZ, Ana Laura et al. Hygienic quality of the traditional red chorizo commercialized in the city of Toluca, State of Mexico. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2019, vol.10, n.1, pp.172-185. ISSN 2448-6698.  https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v10i1.4344.

The traditional red chorizo that is commercialized in Toluca is a sausage with great fame; however, little is known about its quality. The objective of this study was to determine the hygienic quality of traditional red chorizo in different points of sale. 75 samples of the four main markets of the city of Toluca and 10 specialized butcher shops were analyzed in three periods. The water activity (aw), humidity, pH, acidity and nitrite content were determined based on the Mexican Official Standards. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total coliforms and fecal coliforms were counted; the presence of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli spp. was detected. The traditional red chorizo did not exhibit significant differences (P>0.05) in most of the analyzed physicochemical and microbiological variables. It showed a aw over 0.95; humidity 40 to 50 %; pH below 5 and nitrite content below the maximum limits (156 mg/kg) accepted for sausages according to official standards. The AMB count was between 7.3 to 7.8 Log10 CFU/g and 7.8 to 8.1 Log10 CFU/g for LAB; between 11.1 to 48.6 MPN/g for total coliforms, and between 4.9 to 9.7 MPN/g for fecal coliforms. Salmonella spp. and E. coli exhibited incidence rates in all markets, regardless of their nature, of 11.1 to 60 % and 16.7 to 43.3 %, respectively. The traditional red chorizo of Toluca has distinctive characteristics; yet, it is imperative to implement sanitary management programs during its production, storage and commercialization in order to guarantee a sausage that is not only typical of the region but also innocuous.

Keywords : Safety; Traditional Mexican sausages; Enterobacteriaceae; Quality.

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