Effect of temperature abuse on quality attributes of frozen chicken sausages

A study was conducted to evaluate quality changes in frozen chicken sausages under various temperature abuse conditions. Chicken sausage prepared following standardized formulation and procedure, was vacuum packed and stored frozen at-18±1°C for 24 h. Frozen sausages were temperature abused at five different temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C for predetermined durations. One sample kept at-18±1°C served as control. All the samples including control were evaluated for microbiological count (SPC) and various sensory attributes. Sensory attributes of chicken sausages decreased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing duration of exposure to abuse temperature, while standard plate count increased significantly (P<0.05). A negative correlation was observed between sensory scores and SPC. Higher temperature abused chicken sausages resulted in significant deterioration of sensory parameters compared to lower temperature storage. It is concluded that exposure of frozen sausages to higher storage temperatures for longer duration significantly reduces the sensory attributes while significantly increasing microbial load in the product.