Studies on quality and shelf life evaluation of buffalo meat sausages

Meat and meat products make important nutritional contribution to the diet of the people. Significant percentage of the recommended dietary allowances for proteins, vitamins-B, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc are contributed by red meat and poultry (Pearson and Brooks, 1978). Primitive men recognized that a meat rich food was for more concentrated than vegetable foods and in early days mankind survived on animal foods, which now a days after development of food science are claimed to be more nutritious than other foods. It is recognized as a highly nutritious food having high quality proteins, a good balance of the essential amino acids and high biological value.The meat is the center of attraction for microorganism especially bacteria because of favourable pH, sufficient moisture content and highly nutritious. As a result of microbial growth and multiplication meat is rendered unfit for human consumption within few hours at ambient temperatures. Preservation of meat by freezing and frozen storage maintains the characteristics almost similar to fresh meat by preventing the microbial growth.