Aroma components from dried sausages fermented with Staphylococcus xylosus

Sausages with and without Staphylococcus xylosus were manufactured with four replicates. Antibiotics and a fungicide to inhibit growth of naturally occuring microorganisms were added to the control sausages. The volatile compounds from the sausages were collected and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, the effluent evaluated by sniffing and the sausages assessed by a trained panel. The study showed that sausages fermented with Staphylococcus xylosus contained several fragrant esters that were not found in control sausages without microbial growth. Control sausages had an unpleasant, rancid odour compared to sausages with Staphylococcus xylosus, indicating that the esterase activity of Staphylococcus xylosus or other microorganisms is very important in order to obtain the proper fermented sausage aroma. Although sausages with Staphylococcus xylosus contained the highest amounts of free fatty acids, it seemed to be of no importance to the aroma development. It is therefore questionable whether lipolytic activity of starter cultures has any influence on sausage flavour.