Effect of starter culture type, cooking process and storage time at -18 °C on chemical, color and microbiological qualities of fermented sucuk doner kebab.

The aim of this study was to produce fermented sucuk doner kebab and investigate the effects of starter culture type, heat treatment (82 °C) and storage time (0, 30, 90, 180 days) at -18 °C on pH, total acidity, thiobarbituric acid, residual nitrite-nitrate, color and microbiological quality. In this study, three types of starter cultures were used. These were commercial starter culture, L.sakei + S.xylosus + L.curvatus, isolated starter culture (1), L.sakei + S.xylosus + L.curvatus and isolated starter culture (2), L.sakei + S.xylosus + L.plantarum. There was also control product which contains no starter culture. The major pH decrease was observed in samples containing isolated starter cultures. Cooking and storage caused an increase in pH. Isolated starter culture was more effective than commercial starter culture in reducing residual nitrite-nitrate. Isolated starter cultures caused an increase in L* color values. The highest lactic acid bacteria count was found in sample containing commercial starter culture. Cooking was effective in inhibiting Enterobacteriaceae.

Effects of different drying treatments on fungal population and ochratoxin A occurrence in sultana type grapes.

This study aimed to determine the changes in mould and ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in sultanas under three different conventional drying conditions. Five different vineyards were chosen, and the three different treatments were applied to these grapes while drying. At the end of the drying process, total mould and black aspergilli (BA) populations in the samples varied from 2.45 to 5.61 log colony-forming units (CFU) g(-)(1) and from 0 to 4.92 log CFU g(-)(1), respectively. Significant increases (p < 0.05) occurred in mould loads depending on the extending drying period. However, independent of vineyard location, all the samples treated with cold dipping solution showed the lowest fungal loads. These results indicate that dipping solution treatment was the most effective drying method to minimise fungal infection of grapes. The expected results could not be achieved by drying grapes artificially contaminated with ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius spores. Seventy-one of 96 isolates (73.95%) obtained during drying were Aspergillus spp., and the remaining (n = 25, 26.05%) belonged to other genera, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma and Cladosporium. Grape juice-based agar medium was used to determine the realistic OTA production capacities of the isolated mould strains. The highest OTA production capacities were 809.70 ± 9.19, 87.58 ± 16.89 and 45.44 ± 18.78 ng g(-1) in 50% grape juice agar (GJ50), all five of which were from A. niger isolates. OTA was not present in any sample during the drying period; however, OTA was detected in two samples at 0.32 ± 0.15 and 0.52 ± 0.36 µg kg(-)(1) after the end of the drying process. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method used for detecting OTA in samples were 0.1 and 0.3 µg kg(-)(1), respectively.

Effects of modified atmosphere packaging on shelf life of Turkish delight (lokum).

Turkish delight is a sugar-based jellylike confection that has been produced for hundreds of years. In this study, four different modified atmospheres were created in order to extend the shelf life of Turkish delight. Microbiological analyses and sensory evaluations were conducted at the beginning of storage and at 7-day intervals thereafter. Microbiological analyses showed that the numbers of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria within samples stored in a modified atmosphere of 30% CO2 plus 70% N2 were lower than in the other modified atmospheres. According to sensory evaluations, the samples kept in a modified atmosphere of 50% CO2 plus 50% N2 were unacceptable after the 21st day of storage, whereas those kept in modified atmospheres of both 25% CO2 plus 75% N2 and 30% CO2 plus 70% N2 were found to be acceptable even after 30 days of storage.