Use of Tremella as Fat Substitute for the Enhancement of Physicochemical and Sensory Profiles of Pork Sausage

Pork fat in sausage was replaced by tremella at different proportions during the process, and the physicochemical and sensory profiles of pork sausage were evaluated. Five recipes with the replacement proportion of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% tremella were manufactured, and their proximate compositions, water activities, textures, colors, water holding capacities (WHC), and amino acid compositions were investigated. The results showed that the protein, ash and moisture content, lightness, redness, and WHC of pork sausages were increased (p < 0.05), and textural profile analysis (TPA) and sensory quality of the sausage were improved (p < 0.05). In addition, the content of essential amino acids (lysine and isoleucine) and the non-essential amino acids (proline and tyrosine) of sausages were increased (p < 0.05). The sausage had the best sensory performance when the replacement ratio of tremella was 75%. These results indicated that replacing fat with tremella could be a valid way to obtain nutritional and healthy sausage.

Polyphenolic Herbal Extract of Cistus incanus as Natural Preservatives for Sausages Enriched with Natural Colors

This study evaluates the effects of polyphenolic extract of Cistus incanus, lycopene dye from tomatoes, and betanin dye from red beet on selected parameters of model meat products with reduced nitrate contents. The polyphenolic composition and activity of the C. incanus extract was analyzed, revealing the presence of elagotannins, flavanols, and glycosylated flavanols. We studied the effects of the extract and dyes as well as of mixtures of the extract and dyes on the growth of bacteria characteristic of the meat environment: E. coli, S. enterica, P. fragi, L. monocytogenes, B. thermosphacta, and L. sakei. We studied the effects of the extract and dyes on the lipid oxidation, color, and microbiological quality of pork sausages with reduced nitrate content over 28 days of storage. During storage, the amounts of malon dialdehyde reduced, which indicates that the extract and dyes exhibited antioxidant activity and slowed lipid oxidation in the sausages. An increase in red color was also observed in the sausages with natural additives, despite their decreased nitrate content. It was found that the C. incanus extract combined with coloring agents positively influenced the selected parameters of the analyzed pork sausages.

Effect of NaCl Replacement by other Salts on the Quality of Bísaro Pork Sausages (PGI Chouriça de Vinhais)

Concerned about the trend to reduce salt consumption, the meat industry has been increasing the strategies to produce and commercialize products where the reduction or even the replacement of NaCl is an important goal. The aim of this study was to test the effect of partial NaCl replacement by KCl and Sub4Salt® on the quality of pork sausages. Three different formulations (NaCl + KCl, NaCl + Sub4Salt®, and KCl + Sub4Salt®) were considered and compared to the control (2% NaCl). Physicochemical properties, chemical composition, and microbiological and sensory characteristics were evaluated. The replacement of NaCl did not affect pH, water activity (aw) or its chemical composition after eight or 16 days ripening time, while a significant sodium reduction was achieved. The oxidation index expressed in TBARS was also not affected by the NaCl substitution and varied between 0.01 to 0.04 of malonaldehyde (MDA) per kg of sample. Similarly, the NaCl replacement did not change the microbiological quality of the sausages, and the production of healthier meat sausages had also no significant effect on their sensory characteristics. Therefore, according to the results obtained, it is viable and a good strategy for the meat industry to produce “reduced sodium content” sausages without affecting their traditional quality.