The following table is included to assist you in dealing with sausage product defects, and includes a description, as well as causes & remedies for many of the problems encountered occasionally by sausage makers.
| Defect |
Description |
Cause(s) |
Remedy |
| Ruptured casings |
Casings rupture or
split during cooking |
Stuffed too tightly
Bacterial – gas producer |
Stuff less tightly.
Check sanitation.
Change sanitizer. |
|
| Colour problems (external) |
Streaking |
Smoked while too wet |
Increase drying time. |
| Poor smoke colour |
Smoked while too dry |
Shorten drying time. |
|
| Colour problems (internal) |
|
| Pale colour |
Lacks desirable colour |
Insufficient curing time |
Use pre-blends. |
|
| Greening |
Uniform greenish colour |
Too much NO2 (nitrite burn) |
Reduce NO2. Check sanitation. |
|
| Green cores |
Green center |
Bacterial – Lactobacillus
viridescence |
Check cook cycle (153°F critical
temp) |
|
| Green rings |
Concentric green rings |
Bacterial – Lactobacillus
viridescence |
Check cook cycle (153°F critical
temp) |
|
| Fading |
Light or chemical fading |
Display lights
Sloppy rinse of sanitizers |
Gas flush.
Vacuum package.
Use amber film.
Rinse equipment more
thoroughly. |
|
| Case hardening |
Hard, dry surface |
Humidity too low |
Increase humidity. |
| |
Wet interior |
Drying too fast |
Increase drying time. |
|
| Fatting out |
Separation of fat |
Too much fat in formulation |
Reduce fat level. |
|
| Fat caps |
Fat on surface |
Chopping temp too high |
|
|
| Fat caps |
Fat on surface between casing & product |
Cooked too fast |
Chop to 60 - 62°F. |
|
| Fat pockets |
Fat pockets throughout product |
Insufficient contractile proteins.
Excessive chopping.
Too little salt, or salt omitted.
Overworking or pumping long
distances.
Too much rework (previously
cooked product).
Insufficient mixing (course-cut product) |
Cook slower.
Decrease level of high collagen meats.
Sharpen chopper knives, reduce
chopping time.
Check salt addition.
Change production layout.
Reduce rework level.
Increase mixing time. |
|
| Gassiness |
Vacuum packages bloat |
Bacterial gas produced |
Check sanitation, thermal
processing schedule. |
|
| Gelatin pockets |
Gelatin pockets |
Too much connective tissue in
formulation |
Reduce connective tissue level.
Preblend. |
|
| Mould growth |
Fuzz on surface |
Poor sanitation (outside air in plant) |
Check sanitation.
Use filters in ventilation system.
Maintain positive room air
pressure. |
|
| Particle definition poor |
Coarse-cut sausage lack clean
fat/lean distinction |
Dull chopper-grinder blades
Chopping temperature too warm |
Sharpen plates and knives.
Chop at 28-32°F. |
|
| Peelability poor |
Inedible casing will not peel
easily |
Surface drying too severe
Poor skin formulation |
Operate smokehouse at higher
humidity.
Steam cook last 10 minutes
of cycle. |
|
| Putrefaction |
Undesirable odour |
Putrefactive bacteria |
Check thermal processing
temperature.
Check sanitation. |
|
| Smearing |
Fat smearing, leaving undesirable
appearance in fresh
sausages |
Overworking
Meat temperature too warm |
Minimize mixing.
Stuff at 32°F. |
