Evaluation of Summer Sausage Manufactured Using Mixed Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc Starter Culture ¹

A 1:1 mixture of Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus plantarum and of L. plantarum alone were used as starter-cultures in making two batches of summer sausage. Sausage samples were evaluated for volatile flavor compounds and by sensory evaluation. Ethanol was the primary volatile flavor compound in the sausage from mixed culture while acetaldehyde predominated in the single culture sausage. Sensory evaluation indicated a significant difference (p≤0.01) between the two types of sausages with 66% of the panelists preferring sausage prepared with L. plantarum alone.