Table 5 Effect of refrigerated storage on microbiological characteristics of aerobically packaged cooked chicken sausages (Mean ± SE) ^*

Total plate count (log cfu/g)

2.45 ±0.01^a

2.94 ± 0.01^bA

3.92 ± 0.01^cA

4.50 ± 0.01^dA

2.48 ± 0.02^a

3.32 ± 0.01^bB

4.10 ± 0.03^cB

4.93 ± 0.02^dB

Psychrophilic count (log cfu/g)

ND

1.68 ± 0.01^aA

2.14 ± 0.01^bA

2.90 ± 0.02^cA

ND

1.82 ± 0.02^aB

2.53 ± 0.02^bB

3.15 ± 0.02^cB

Yeast and mould count (log cfu/g)

ND

ND

1.77 ± 0.02^aA

2.51 ± 0.10^b

ND

ND

1.89 ± 0.01^aB

2.54 ± 0.02^b