# Effect of Fermentation Technology and Storage Time on the Quality of Salami-Type Sausages
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Influence of Fermentation Technology on the Microbiological Characteristics of Salami-Type Sausages
The results are shown in Table 4. During cold storage, the salami-type sausages fermented using \"warm\" technology exhibited a significantly (\(p\leq 0.05\)) higher AV (in the range of 7.0-11.3 mg KOH/g) throughout the cold storage period compared to sausages obtained using \"cold\" technology (in the range of 4.4-7.4 mg KOH/g). Furthermore, the stored sausages showed a noticeable increase in the degree of fat hydrolysis over time, regardless of the technology used (Table 4). As expected, the AVs were the lowest on day 0. Interestingly, the sausages fermented using \"cold\" fermentation did not show a significant difference in AV (\(p>0.05\)) on day 21 compared to day 0 (Table 4). This suggests that using \"cold\" fermentation instead of \"warm\" fermentation for salami-type sausages can help reduce the degree and rate of fat hydrolysis, potentially extending the shelf life of these products. Important components of fermented meat products (protein and fat) are easily oxidized and degraded during production and processing, affecting the products' quality. During fermentation and ripening, proteins are hydrolyzed into short peptides and free amino acids, which are degraded into aldehydes, acids, and esters under the influence of microorganisms. Moderate protein degradation can improve the nutritional value and taste of the product. In contrast, excessive protein oxidation will adversely affect the texture, water retention, and flavor and reduce the digestibility and nutritional value of meat products [53; 55]. The level of fat oxidation in cold cuts, including salami-type sausages, can be indicated by the TBARS index. Immediately after the ripening process (day 0), the TBARS index of salami-type sausages produced using the \"cold\" fermentation method was around 0.6 mg MDA/kg of the product, which was significantly lower than that for the \"warm\"- fermented sausages (around 0.9 mg MDA/kg of the product) (Table 4). Similar levels of TBARS index were obtained by [PERSON] et al. [56], who studied dry fermented pork sausages obtained using a _Lactobacillus sakei_ starter culture and the \"warm\" fermentation method. According to [PERSON] et al. [57], TBARS index values in the 0.6-2.8 mg MDA/kg range for fermented sausages are acceptable. During cold storage, the _TBARS_ index value of the salami-type sausages decreased slightly, regardless of the fermentation technology. It reached its lowest level on the 42 nd day of storage and then increased again. In addition, throughout the storage period, the TBARS index values of the \"cold\"-fermented salami-type sausages were significantly lower (\(p\leq 0.05\)) compared to sausages produced using \"warm\" technology (Table 4). The reduction in TBARS levels could have been influenced by the enzymes produced by the current starter cultures, which catalyzed the breakdown of fat oxidation products [6; 20; 43]. Research conducted by [PERSON] et al. [23] and [PERSON] et al. [58] proved that enzymes such as catalase and glutathione peroxidase, which are secreted by _Staphylococcus carnosus_ during fermentation, contribute to reducing the concentration of lipid oxidation products in ripening sausages. During the extended 63-day storage period in our study, it is likely that the enzymatic activity decreased significantly. As a result, newly formed fat oxidation products accumulated, increasing the TBARS index (Table 4). Influence of Fermentation Technology and Storage Time on the Color Parameters of Salami-Type Sausages  
The meat's color is a critical indicator of its quality, freshness, and potential changes in safety or spoilage. Consumers rely on the color of the meat to decide whether it is suitable for consumption. Consequently, an aberrant or altered coloration is typically associated with negative perceptions [59]. The characteristic bright red color observed in fermented sausages during curing is attributed to the presence of nitrosylmyoglobin, where nitric oxide (NO) coordinates with the central Fe\({}^{+2}\) in the heme.