[Characteristics and variability of microflora of Polish sausage kielbasa during its production including steaming]

The level and variability of nonspecific microflora of steamed sausage was determined in the course of its production. The microbiological characteristics was based on determinations of 11 groups of microorganisms, taking into consideration three production phases, two different meat works and two seasons of the year as variation factors. A high contamination of the sausage meat, on average 10(6) microorganisms/g, was found just before putting it into tubes. These amounts were reduced in the course of technological processes, which averaged 10(4)/g in the product. Statistically significant variation of the quantitative level was found between the production phases in most of the microorganism groups studies, a significant influence of the individual meat works and seasons of the year being absent. Quantitative percentage of the particular microorganism groups in total contamination was determined. The correlations calculated for quantitative variability of the total bacterial contamination in relation to the individual microorganism groups were shown to be significant.