Effect of Dry Fermented Sausage Diameter on Escherichia coli O157:H7 James De Souzaab, Rafath Ahmeda Phil Strangea, S. Balamurugana, Shai Barbutb aGuelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 93 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9. b Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1. respectively (Figure 1A) to achieve the required 5-log reduction. What this research is about What the researchers did Three sizes of Dry Fermented Sausage are artificially inoculated with 108 CFU/g of E. coli 0157:H7 and made consisting of small (32mm), medium (55mm), and large (80mm) diameter size. Sausages are fermented for five days and then dry for an additional forty eight days Samples of DFS are taken every day for the first five days and once a week thereafter. Sausages are tested for changes in inoculated pathogen numbers, water activity, pH, Moisture, Protein and Fat content. Dry fermented sausages (DFS) are typically manufactured without bactericidal heat treatment and instead, inhibition of growth and inactivation of contaminating pathogens rely upon the collective effects of an acidic pH (starter culture fermentation), reduced water activity (aw) and the presence of curing salts and spices. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of diameter size on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of DFS. Figure 1. (A) The effect of diameter size on the reduction of E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of DFS What you need to know The information gathered in this study demonstrates the importance of taking sausage diameter size into account when producing dry fermented sausages and achieve the required 5 log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 What the researchers found Significant reduction in the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 is observed with an increase in sausage diameter size. Increasing casing diameter from 32 to 55 and 80mm increased the time for a 5 log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 from 32 to 39 and 53 days, To Know More James De Souza jdesouza@uoguelph.ca Funding from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Food Safety project # FS2012-1360; FS2014-2357.