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

## TL;DR

This study examines how adding plant-based ingredients and whey affects the texture and safety of fermented pork snacks made for human consumption.

## Contribution

The paper introduces novel combinations of plant-based additives to modulate the structure and texture of human-grade pork snacks while maintaining safety.

## Key findings

- CBD oil increased chewability and springiness of the pork snacks.
- All variants met safety criteria with water activity below 0.90 and no Salmonella or Listeria detected.
- Rosehip had the highest total viable counts (~108 CFU/g), and sea buckthorn had the highest water activity.

## 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 aw < 0.90 and tested negative for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in 25 g. Safety inferences are limited to aw- and pathogen-based criteria. Sea buckthorn showed the highest aw, while rosehip displayed the highest total viable counts (~108 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.