Sausage sampling method and microbiological analyses
The PHLS(Pu blic Health Laboratory Service,UK) method was used for determining the microbial £ora of sausages (Roberts et al. 1995). Samples of 25 g were taken from two sausages in each pack of four. Each sausage was sliced transversely into several sections.The end sections were discarded. Several slices (casing was not removed) were selected randomly from the middle and end to make up 25 g. The 25 g sample was added to 225ml of maximum recovery diluent (MRD) and homogenizedwith a stomacher for 2 min. Duplicate samples (1ml each) of the slurry were serially diluted in 9ml of
MRDand eachwas spread-plated (0?1ml) in duplicate
as follows: PCA for total viable count
(incubated at 301C for 2 days); MRSA for lactic
acid bacteria (incubated at 301C for 3 days); and
MEA for yeasts and moulds (incubated at 251C
for 5 days). Quadruplicate counts were averaged
for graphic presentation.