The Potential Benefit of Yellow Mustard to Control Salmonella spp. in a Pork Fermented Sausage

It has been shown that deodorized yellow mustard powder has the potential to inhibit the growth of common foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in dry fermented sausages. However, the time needed to achieve a significant reduction could be longer than what a commercial process requires. In the present study, the effect of yellow mustard on a Salmonella cocktail in a pork sausage was determined to explore the potential use of this antimicrobial in pork sausage production. For this, yellow mustard powder was added to the pork sausage batter during manufacturing, and the sausage samples were analyzed for any effects on Salmonella, starter cultures, and physico-chemical characteristics. The results showed that the yellow mustard powder in the dry fermented sausage tested was able to achieve a 5-log reduction in numbers of Salmonella within 14 days of drying. The yellow mustard powder had no effect on the starter cultures and did not affect the water activity or pH of the dry fermented sausages, compared to the sausages without yellow mustard.