Effect of manufacturing process and added spices on the mutagenicity of dry sausage

The changes of mutagenicity of Chinese dry sausage (Hongchang) at several different processing stages were determined quantitatively by forward mutation assay. Salted meat treated with nitrite showed a high mutation ratio. This decreased after boiling and increased again during the smoking process. There was little difference in the increase of mutation ratio, measured at the surface or inside of the products, before and after the smoking process. This result suggested that formation of stronger mutagenic activity of the final products depended upon the effect of heat rather than on accumulation of the mutagens of smoke. In the second step, we prepared dry sausages, to which 5 times as much garlic or pepper than that indicated in the standard Chinese recipe was added, to study roles of these spices in the formation of mutagenicity during the manufacturing process. Both garlic and pepper showed two actions, promotion and repression, at various stages.