# Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality and Shelf Life of
## 4 Discussion
### Physical and Physicochemical Analyses  
As described in Table 5, the macronutrient contents were not divergent in the three assays. Out of these nutrients, the lipid content can vary in sheep meat according to some factors, like race, feeding, age, and sex. The main changes in the lipid fraction result from the hydrolysis of triglycerides by lipases, releasing free fatty acids, which are responsible for a contribution in flavor, texture, and appearance of the products [22; 28]. Moreover, the meat fat has buffer characteristics, since it protects the probiotic microorganisms in salami from the adverse conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and can determine shelf life because of the lipid oxidation control if the storage is adequate [22]. Protein values are assigned to sheep meat in natura, since it has a higher protein content when compared to beef or pork. Furthermore, during the production of salami, other ingredients are added, such as bacon, which also contains a protein percentage inits composition. Proteins are the main functional and structural components in processed meats, which are turned into peptides and amino acids when they are degraded during salami processing, which causes beneficial changes, contributing to the formation of the characteristic flavor of the final product [22]. Regarding the amount of carbohydrates, the results obtained did not fall within the limits defined by legislation. That accumulation is mainly due to the addition of sucrose and the inoculation of _Lactobacillus_, since that is an important parameter due to their transformation into lactic acid by the action of bacteria. Moreover, it also helps guarantee safety and quality of the final products since it has a protective effect against a number of unwanted microorganisms [25]. Similar results to the ones found in this study are shown in fermented processed foods that also contain probiotic strains, which had values between 6.70% and 7.19%. These values, when compared to processed meats that did not have these strains added to them, had values between 4.81% and 6.26%, showing that the presence of probiotics can increase the amount of carbohydrates in the product after maturation [29]. Concerning the ashes, although legislation did not have a standard value for those analyses, the results were compared with the Food Composition Table [30], showing a standard value of at least 5.90%, which matches with the values found in the present study. Like carbohydrates, for ash content, the ingredients added in the salami were also investigated, showing the importance of the impact that these substances bring to the value of ashes obtained in the final product. Other studies that used probiotic strains in the composition of processed meats have average values between 5.48% and 7.49% of ashes, higher than the ones in this work [23; 29]. The titratable acidity has the main function of granting aroma and flavor, as well as maintaining the acid feature in the final product. This parameter does not have values established in the legislation; however, it is evident by the three assays performed that the _Lactobacillus casei_ inoculate has higher acidity levels, which indicates a greater production of lactic acid, potentiated by the probiotic during fermentation and maturation. In contrast, the results obtained in the S2 assay (containing _Lactobacillus casei_) had the lowest acidity levels, showing that these bacteria did not help the starter cultures in the production of lactic acid in the final product. That being said, it is understood that the _Lactobacillus casei_ strain has a higher capacity to develop and multiply in a meat medium. The shear force is evaluated to measure the texture of salami, an important parameter for the sensory evaluation of the product. After the maturation process, salami tend to have a greater shear force because of the drying process and biochemical reaction that occurs during this stage.