# 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
Conversely, significant alterations in the chemical composition of the salami during storage would indicate irregularities in the production process, improper components' selection, or secondary microbiological contamination, all of which could potentially lead to the sausages spoiling before their expiration date [5; 10; 46]. Influence of Fermentation Technology and Storage Time on the Physicochemical and Chemical Properties of Salami-Type Sausages  
Although the production of raw sausages is perceived as a very \"solid\" technology, there is a constant risk of manufacturing defective products and threats caused by the activity of pathogenic microorganisms. One of the conditions for success in producing raw \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Fermentation Technology**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Storage Time [Days]**} \\ \cline{2-5}  & **0** & **21** & **42** & **63** \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Water [\%]} \\ \hline Warm & 30.49 \(\pm\) 0.47 aA & 30.26 \(\pm\) 0.58 aA & 28.68 \(\pm\) 0.88 aA & 30.29 \(\pm\) 0.21 aA \\ Cold & 30.82 \(\pm\) 0.44 aA & 30.73 \(\pm\) 0.46 aA & 30.02 \(\pm\) 0.34 aA & 30.58 \(\pm\) 0.42 aA \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Protein [\%]} \\ \hline Warm & 20.77 \(\pm\) 0.44 aA & 20.21 \(\pm\) 0.28 aA & 20.65 \(\pm\) 0.15 aA & 20.57 \(\pm\) 0.42 aA \\ Cold & 20.11 \(\pm\) 0.29 aA & 19.85 \(\pm\) 0.17 aA & 19.99 \(\pm\) 0.30 aA & 19.99 \(\pm\) 0.43 aA \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Fat [\%]} \\ \hline Warm & 42.25 \(\pm\) 0.94 aA & 42.75 \(\pm\) 0.46 aA & 43.74 \(\pm\) 0.55 aA & 42.58 \(\pm\) 0.83 aA \\ Cold & 42.65 \(\pm\) 0.59 aA & 42.93 \(\pm\) 0.41 aA & 43.54 \(\pm\) 0.59 aA & 42.64 \(\pm\) 0.31 aA \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Salt [\%]} \\ \hline Warm & 4.43 \(\pm\) 0.04 aA & 4.56 \(\pm\) 0.08 aA & 4.45 \(\pm\) 0.09 aA & 4.59 \(\pm\) 0.06 aA \\ Cold & 4.40 \(\pm\) 0.02 aA & 4.50 \(\pm\) 0.08 aA & 4.41 \(\pm\) 0.03 aA & 4.47 \(\pm\) 0.05 aA \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Ash [\%]} \\ \hline Warm & 6.12 \(\pm\) 0.08 aA & 6.08 \(\pm\) 0.12 aA & 5.88 \(\pm\) 0.18 aA & 6.09 \(\pm\) 0.12 aA \\ Cold & 6.07 \(\pm\) 0.05 aA & 5.99 \(\pm\) 0.11 aA & 5.93 \(\pm\) 0.07 aA & 6.00 \(\pm\) 0.09 aA \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Different lowercase letters between mean values \(\pm\) standard deviations in the row indicate significant differences (grouping variable: storage time), \(p\leq 0.05\). Different uppercase letters between mean values \(\pm\) standard deviations in the column for a given parameter indicate significant differences (grouping variable: fermentation technology), \(p\leq 0.05\).} \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Basic chemical composition of salami-type sausages fermented with “warm” and “cold” technology, stored for 63 days. sausages is achieving the high microbiological purity of the product. This can be achieved, among others, by creating as many obstacles as possible to the growth of unfavorable microorganisms during the entire production process. The basic idea is to obtain a stable sausage product by sufficiently reducing the pH and/or water activity (a\({}_{\text{w}}\)) and the appropriate salt content [2,10]. Water activity in both tested variants of the salami sausages immediately after ripening was at a similar level, i.e., about 0.86 (Table 4). During storage, it decreased regardless of the fermentation method. In the case of salami sausages fermented with \"warm\" technology, the decrease in water activity was significantly greater, and on the 63 rd day of storage, it amounted to about 0.83 (Table 3). However, the produced and tested salami sausages presented lower a\({}_{\text{w}}\) values than those in the studies by [PERSON] [49] and [PERSON] [50]. It should be emphasized that the starter cultures produced lactic acid during the initial fermentation stage, which lowered the pH of the sausage, bringing it closer to the isoelectric point. As a result, the water-binding capacity of myofibrillar proteins decreased, allowing for the reduction in water content during processing. This created less favorable conditions for microbial growth [51].