Quality characteristics and flavor profile of Harbin dry sausages inoculated with lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus xylosus

Abstract Pediococcus pentosaceus (Pp) , Lactobacillus curvatus (Lc) , Lactobacillus sakei (Ls) and Staphylococcus xylosus (Sx) were evaluated to determine their roles in the quality characteristics and flavor formation in Harbin dry sausage. The inoculation of dry sausages with bacterial strains, especially mixed strains (Pp + Sx + Lc and Pp + Sx + Ls), significantly decreased the moisture content and water activity. Compared with the sausages inoculated with a single strain and non-inoculated, those inoculated with mixed strains had shorter transverse relaxation time T 21 that represents the immobilized water ( P a *-values ( P P