The objective of this work was to evaluate the sensory characteristics of meat sausages with 4 different salt formulations and, 7 and 14 days of ripening time (7DF1 and 14DF1: 2% NaCl, 7DF3 and 14DF3: 1,5% NaCl + 0,5% KCl, 7DF4 and 14DF4: 1,5% + 0.5% NaCl, 7DF5 and 14DF5: 0.5% Sub 4 salt + 1.5% NaCl). Attributes of appearance, odor, texture and flavor were evaluated by a qualified taste panel. The data were submitted to Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). The GPA results highlight some characteristics in the different formulations of meat sausages. But particularly differentiates 7 from 14 days of ripening time by color, odor, texture, and flavor. More time in curing process implies darker color, more firmness, more intense odor, more intense bitterness, but less intense salty taste, less hardness, and less difficulty to chew. The results indicate that panelists do not detect very significant differences in sensory characteristics when changing salt levels in meat sausage formulations which may be important in the production of healthier products
