Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of fermented sheepmeat sausage.

Owen A Young,John D Brooks,Yanjun Lu

doi:10.1002/fsn3.151

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of fermented, cured sausages made from equivalent muscle groups of beef, pork, and sheepmeat. The last has no commercial examples and represents an unexploited opportunity. Using seven replicates of shoulder meat and subcutaneous fat, sausages were made with 64%, 29%, 4%, 2%, 0.2%, and 0.01% of lean meat, fat, NaCl, glucose, sodium pyrophosphate, and lactic culture, respectively. Following anaerobic fermentation (96 h, 30°C), there were no significant differences between the species in mean texture (hardness, springiness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness) and pH, and only minor differences were seen in color. However, although not consumer tested, it is argued that consumers would be able to pick a texture difference due to different fat melting point ranges, highest for sheepmeat. This work was followed by a sensory experiment to find out if characteristic sheepmeat flavors could be suppressed to appeal to unhabituated consumers. To simulate a very strongly characteristic sheepmeat, beef sausage mixtures (above) were spiked, or not, with 4-methyloctanoic, 4-methylnonanoic acid, and skatole (5.0, 0.35, and 0.08 mg kg−1, respectively). Sodium nitrite (at 0.1 g kg−1) and a garlic/rosemary flavor were variably added to create a 23 factorial design. In a randomized design, 60 consumers found that spiked sheepmeat flavors caused an overall significant decrease in mean liking on a 1–9 scale (5.83 vs. 5.35,P = 0.003), but this was completely negated by the garlic/rosemary addition (5.18 vs. 6.00,P < 0.001). Nitrite had no effect on liking (5.61 vs. 5.58,P = 0.82), although nitrite might be included in commercial examples to minimize fat oxidation and suppress growth of clostridia. Thus, sheepmeat flavors could be suppressed to appeal to unhabituated consumers. Commercial examples could thus be made for these consumers, but the mandatory use of the name “mutton” in some markets would adversely affect prospects.

Highlights

Worldwide, cured fermented sausages are almost all made from beef and pork, with differences stemming from species, different genera of lactic acid bacteria, fat-to-lean ratio, salt and sugar content, the use of spices based on cultural familiarity, and the degree of drying
The BCAFs, 4-methyloctanoic acid (4-MeO) and 4-methylnonanoic acid (4-MeN), and skatole were from Sigma, Sydney, Australia
The theme was continued with texture analysis with no significant differences between species, as expected most of the properties changed between Days 0 and 4; for example, mean hardness increased sixfold after gelation

Summary

Introduction

Worldwide, cured fermented sausages are almost all made from beef and pork, with differences stemming from species, different genera of lactic acid bacteria, fat-to-lean ratio, salt and sugar content, the use of spices based on cultural familiarity, and the degree of drying. Fermented sausages made from other animal meats are rarer, but the production principles remain the same; in the presence of salt and sugars, and as pH falls as lactic acid accumulates, myosin forms a gel that binds the meat particles forming a preserved, sliceable mass, usually in the form of sausage (Cocolin and Rantsiou 2012). There is no technical reason why fermented sheepmeat sausages could not be developed, but the physical properties of such a product might differ substantially from that of beef and pork equivalents, and there may be flavor problems as discussed below.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion