aw values when compared with the application of a commercial starter
culture.
Luecke (1997) classified fermented sausages on the basis of final aw
values, with sausages having an aw value between 0.90 and 0.95 being
termed ‘semi-dry’ and those with an aw below 0.90 being considered
‘dry’. According to these criteria for classification, the sausages treated
with 5% kimchi-powder were dry fermented sausage, whereas the
other batches were semi-dry fermented sausages. In the USA the Food
Safety and Inspection Service of the United States department of Agriculture
requires amoisture/protein ratio of 1.9:1 or less for shelf-stable dry
sausages and a moisture/protein ratio of 3.1:1 or less for semi-dry sausages
(USA&Canadian Fermentation Standards, 2010). Within the
water activities of kimchi and kimchi-powder sausages, they could
reach recommended moisture/protein ratios for shelf-stable dry or
semi-dry sausages (Ziegler, Rizvi, & Acton, 1987).