Influence of sucrose level and inoculation of Lactobacillus plantarum on the physicochemical, textural, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of Isan sausage (Thai fermented pork sausage)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sucrose levels (0.3% and 1.2%) and inoculation of Lactobacillus plantarum on the quality of Isan sausage. The results show that the inoculation accelerated the pH reduction in fermentation. The inoculated samples had significantly (p < .05) lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and volatile basic nitrogen values. The total microbial counts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts increased rapidly during fermentation and then decreased during storage. The inoculated samples had significantly higher total microflora and LAB counts. The inoculated samples had a higher hardness texture profile as well as more intense flavor and darker color in sensorial evaluation. Less influence on the quality parameters of the samples due to the different sucrose levels was observed. In conclusion, a combination of 0.3% sucrose and inoculation of L. plantarum (7 log cfu/g) is recommended for producing Isan sausages.