Effects of curing techniques and compositions on chemical, microbiological and sensory qualities of turkey pastirma

The objective of this study was to determine some quality characteristics of turkey meat pastirma and to investigate the effects of curing ingredients and different curing techniques on the quality characteristics.Two different curing techniques (dry and brine solution) and three different curing compositions were used in the production of pastirma from turkey meat. Curing ingredients had no significant effects on moisture and salt contents and pH values. Significantly higher total aerobic mesophilic, Micrococcus-Staphylococcus and anaerobic bacteria numbers were found in dry cured samples than in samples cured in brine solution. It was determined that using sugar as a curing ingredient caused a decrease in the anaerobic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae counts at all stages of production. Pastirma made by dry curing received lower hedonic ratings in all sensory properties. Sugar played an important role for the sensory properties of the samples cured in brine solution.While sugar had a positive effect on flavour, appearance and colour of the dry cured samples in the beginning of storage, it had a negative effect on these properties in the later stages of storage. © M. & H. Schaper GmbH & Co.