Changes in several constituents during the ripening of 'Chorizo' - A spanish dry sausage.

'Chorizo', a dry fermented sausage marketed in Spain, is traditionally prepared without curing agents or sugars. In order to establish the fermentation process batches A (with added sugars) and B (traditional process) were prepared. pH, carbohydrate disappearance, cured meat pigment formation, free fatty acids (FFA), non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and NH(4)(+) were determined through 100 days of ripening. In batch A, cured meat pigment formation, pH decrease and NPN evolution were greater than in batch B, whereas FFA and NH(4)(+) were similar. Garlic and Spanish paprika added to the mixture introduced significant amounts of fermentable carbohydrates (0·68%) and approximately 16 ppm NO(3)(-).