Effects of Whey and Plant-Based Additives on Technological and Microbiological Characterization of Fermented Raw-Dried Pork Meat Snacks of Human Grade Standard.

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Citation abstract

This study evaluates fermented raw-dried pork snacks enriched with plant-based functional ingredients-lion's mane ( Hericium erinaceus ), rosemary essential oil ( Rosmarinus officinalis ), rosehip ( Rosa canina ), sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ), and a hemp-derived CBD oil ( Cannabis sativa )-produced from pork, with addition of cow sour whey and salt. We use "human grade" descriptively (compliance with human-food hygiene/microbiological requirements; no AAFCO/labeling claim). Functional enrichment modulated viscoelasticity (G', G″), texture, water activity, density, and color. CBD oil softened the structure, increasing chewability and springiness, whereas TPA metrics were analyzed only for variants within the instrument range (control, CBD, rosehip). All variants reached a w < 0.90 and tested negative for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in 25 g. Safety inferences are limited to a w - and pathogen-based criteria. Sea buckthorn showed the highest a w, while rosehip displayed the highest total viable counts (~10 8 CFU/g); microbiological results are reported descriptively without inferential statistics. Density was the highest for lion's mane and rosehip. Proximate composition varied (e.g., higher protein with rosemary oil; higher fat/moisture with sea buckthorn) but was assessed by FoodScan™ 2 as screening-level data. Overall, selected botanicals enabled targeted structure-texture modulation without breaching predefined safety targets under the tested conditions.