A novel fat modification strategy in fermented sausages by incorporation of gelled emulsions with fig seed oil

Abstract

Gelled emulsion (GE) systems are one of the novel proposals for reformulation of meat products with healthier profiles. In this study, the quality of fermented sausages formulated with fig oil seed-in-water GE as partial or total beef fat replacers were studied. Control sausages (C) consisted of 100% beef fat, whereas GE treatments were formulated by replacing 50% (G1) or 100% (G2) of beef fat. Total replacement of beef fat with GE (G2 sausages) did not change 2-Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels in the sausages, whilst G1 sausages containing 50% GE had the highest TBARS levels among the sausages. In general, TBARS levels tended to increase at the end of the storage. The highest total carbonyl content was measured in C sausages with 100% beef fat; however, the final carbonyl contents of the sausages were not different. All sensory parameters were within acceptable ranges; color scores were higher in G2 sausages than in C sausages, and the rest of the sensory characteristics were similar to each other. Finally, it was concluded that utilization of gelled emulsion systems consisting of fig seed oil GE as beef fat replacers has good potential to enhance the chemical and sensory quality of fermented sausages.