Evaluating the impact of vegetal and microalgae protein sources on proximate composition, amino acid profile, and physicochemical properties of fermented Spanish “chorizo” sausages

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the addition of vegetable (beans, lentils, and broad beans) and algae (Chlorella and Spirulina) protein sources on physicochemical and nutritional properties of fermented Spanish “chorizo” sausages. Color, pH, texture parameters, protein, amino acid profile, and the content of carbohydrates were significantly different among the batches. Protein content was significantly higher in the sausages with protein from soy (35.62%), Chlorella (34.66%), Spirulina (34.89%), and broad beans (34.66%) compared to the samples enriched with protein from bean and lentil, being lysine (≈19%), arginine (≈17.5%), and leucine (17.5%) the predominant essential amino acids, while glutamic acid (≈32%) and aspartic acid (≈19%) were the most abundant nonessential amino acids. It can be concluded that protein extracted from beans, lentils, broad beans, Chlorella, and Spirulina can be used to enrich “chorizo” as an alternative to soy protein. Practical applications Consumer´s growing awareness regarding the use of new healthy ingredients that could give an added value to meat products has led food industry to investigate alternative protein sources from vegetal and algae origin. “Chorizo” sausages are one of the traditional fermented meat products typical from Spain. During “chorizo” fermentation several changes on protein can occur, thus being of a paramount importance to evaluate its nutritional and quality changes. Enrichment of “chorizo” with protein from vegetal and algae origin can constitute a useful alternative to improve “chorizo” nutritional profile, and consequently increasing its market opportunity.