Volatile compounds analysis of Dacia sausage, a traditional Romanian dry cured sausage

Abstract

Three batches of Dacia sausage were produced as follows: one without starter culture and two with a mix of starter cultures. Volatiles were extracted by a purgeand- trap method and analyzed by gas chromatographic/mass spectrometry. Approximately 43 compounds were identified. The substances identified belong to: aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons, esters, acids, furans. Results indicated that the most abundant class of chemical substances in flavor at the end of the ripening process was esters, followed by aldehydes, hydrocarbures and terpenes. This could only indicate the high microbial esterification activity that took place in the batches. It was possible to differentiate between the three sausages applying a discriminant analysis.