Valuable tips on how to correctly choose a quality and natural sausage, made in accordance with he alth requirements, and what the additives that include the letter “E” mean
“When choosing and buying cooked sausages, the first thing to do is to compare the actual storage conditions with the permissible ones.
The temperature in the refrigerator should be from 0 to 6 degrees Celsius. It is important to remember that a product packed without a vacuum has a shorter shelf life," said Lyudmila Vikulova, director of the research department at the Russian Roskachestvo Institute.
The cooked sausage should be elastic and void-free, pink to light pink in color, and the consistency should be free of lumps and obvious color spots. The label must indicate the composition, nutritional value, expiration date, production date, storage conditions, as well as, depending on the packaging conditions, the inscriptions "vacuum packed" or "modified atmosphere packed".
“Cooked sausage produced in accordance with the requirements must have the following ingredients: pork and/or beef, water, eggs or egg melange, whole or skimmed cow's milk powder, s alt, granulated sugar, spices (Indian nutmeg or cardamom)”.
Chicken, vegetable protein, fiber and starch should not be in cooked sausage, the message added.
In addition, the use of a number of E-additives is allowed: coloring (sodium nitrite) E250, antioxidants E300 are allowed, for example, to avoid rancidity - ascorbic acid, E301, E304, E306.
Acidity regulators such as E331 (citric acid), E262, E325, E326, E330 help prevent the development of unwanted microflora in the product.
In addition, stabilizers and acidity regulators E339, E451, E450, E452 are allowed - food phosphates that increase the viscosity and density of minced meat, flavor and aroma enhancers E621.
Undesirable additives in turn include, for example, E120 and E252, which can have a carcinogenic effect. You should also avoid the additive E536: it is slightly toxic, but non-compliant sausage manufacturers may use it as an emulsifier.
