Chemical composition of cooked-cured sausages of Lyoner-type in Kosovo

The authors examined 40 samples of cooked-cured emulsified sausages of the "Lyoner" ("Extrawurst") type from retail shops in the Republic of Kosovo for their chemical composition. 37.5% of the products were imported. According to the information on the label, the majority of the products were exclusively composed of chicken meat In = 22) or beef/veal (n = 13), and none would contain pork or pork fat. The addition of soy protein was indicated on the label of 13 products. The addition of starch, mechanically separated meat (MSM), skin or connective tissue material and plant oil were declared on 13, 7, 5 and 5 of the samples. Average crude protein content was high (11.1%), whereas the content of connective tissue and fat was low (1% and 13.4%, respectively). Data must be interpreted with caution, since 26/40 samples contained >= 1% soy protein. In the 27 samples without indication of added soy protein, soy protein was detected at levels >= 1% in 17/27 and at lower levels in 8/27 samples. Carbohydrates were listed on the labels of only 10 samples of the 29 samples with carbohydrate contents > 2%. Porcine DNA was detected in 1/40 samples.