Cooked sausages were manufactured according to a procedure used in a local meat processing plant. Their composition were: 46% beef; 35% pork; 15% pork fat; 2% NaCl; powder milk0.8%; curing salts 0.2%; binding and flavoring additives 1%. Two separate batches were prepared by thoroughly mixing the ingredients. The mix was then emulsified, filled into natural casings, and cooked to a core temperature of 751C. Samples were immediately transported to the laboratory under refrigerating conditions. Sausages (80 g portions, 3 sausage units) were vacuum-packaged using a film (ENVARIL SAICIF, Argentine). The diffusion coefficient of the film was 19 cm
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atm
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to oxygen at 251C and 75% RH. The package was sealed at a final vacuum of 0.95 mm Hg using an RAPI-VAC S-750 vacuum packaging machine (SERVIVAC SRL, Argentine). Some samples were immediately analysed (day 0) while the remaining were stored at 01C, 81Cand151C for 54 days. A new package was opened at each sampling interval (3 days).
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