Calcium lactate and beet sugar in uncured frankfurters
What it found
In frankfurters, calcium lactate and beet sugar were linked to fewer Clostridium perfringens bacteria and to taste that a tasting panel judged appropriate.
The work was done on the sausages themselves, not in people.
What they found
Residual nitrite
The least leftover nitrite was found in sausages with a high level of beet sugar and S. xylosus after 2 months.
Total aerobic counts
Total aerobic counts in the frankfurters rose after 4 weeks.
Clostridium perfringens
Sausages with more beet sugar and calcium lactate had no Clostridium perfringens at storage time.
Histamine levels
Histamine content was similar across all treatments except the one with S. xylosus.
Texture
No differences in textural properties were seen among the treatments.
Water activity
Water activity dropped significantly in the CL1+BS2 treatment.
Taste and sensory
A tasting panel judged the taste and sensory attributes of sausages treated with beet sugar or calcium lactate as appropriate.
What the authors conclude
“The results indicated that samples treated with BS or CL had (P < 0.05) taste and sensory attributes considered appropriate by a tasting panel.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say hurdle technology, combining beet sugar, calcium lactate and Staphylococcus xylosus at different concentrations, can be developed for frankfurter processing.
- They note the results will be useful for meat manufacturers, though any new process may affect marketing strategies.
How it was done
Health problems such as cancer have been linked to eating too much cured meat, so the authors looked for new ways to preserve frankfurters.
They made uncured frankfurters with different amounts of beet sugar, calcium lactate and Staphylococcus xylosus, then checked the sausages over storage for up to 2 months.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a test of sausages, not of people eating them.
- It cannot show what these ingredients do in the human body.
The paper
- Title
- Influence of beet sugar, calcium lactate, and Staphylococcus xylosus (with nitrate reductase activity) on the chemical, microbiological, and sensorial properties of Persian uncured frankfurters
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Tahmouzi S, Razavi SH, Safari M, Emam-Djomeh Z (2012). Influence of beet sugar, calcium lactate, and Staphylococcus xylosus (with nitrate reductase activity) on the chemical, microbiological, and sensorial properties of Persian uncured frankfurters. Journal of food science. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02754.xPubMed 22946602DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error