Abstract
The physico-chemical properties (proximate, salt content, water activity (aw), pH) and lipid oxidation of droëwors (dried salted/spiced meat sausages) produced with zebra meat and different sheep fat levels (10, 15, and 20% by weight) measured at day 0 (before drying), day 2 (after drying at 30 °C and 40% relative humidity), and over a 90 day storage (day 17, 32, 47, 62, 77, and 92) under vacuum at 25 °C were investigated. The use of lower fat levels (10 and 15%) in the formulation resulted in higher weight loss during drying and droëwors with higher protein, ash, and salt content and lower aw and pH compared to the droëwors made with 20% fat. The pH increased (p < 0.001) during storage for all the fat levels, while the moisture content and the aw were stable as expected. TBARS values were the highest in droëwors made with 20% of fat after drying (day 2), but droëwors made with 10% of fat reached similar maximal values on day 17. Formulations containing 15% sheep fat displayed the lowest TBARS values after drying and along storage, and thus had the best characteristics in relation to oxidative stability.
Highlights
IntroductionDroëwors is a traditional South African shelf-stable salted and dried meat sausage produced from a combination of minced meat (beef, ostrich, or game species), fat, spices, and vinegar [1,2]
Droëwors is a traditional South African shelf-stable salted and dried meat sausage produced from a combination of minced meat, fat, spices, and vinegar [1,2]
A higher weight loss was obtained for the 90:10 and 85:15 treatment compared to the 80:20 treatment, and their fat content were lower as a result of their lower fat content in the raw batter and despite the higher moisture loss during drying. pH ranged between 5.3–5.46 after drying, despite the addition of vinegar and a higher increase in pH during storage was measured for the droëwors made with 20% of fat as well as higher values from day 47 until the end of storage
Summary
Droëwors is a traditional South African shelf-stable salted and dried meat sausage produced from a combination of minced meat (beef, ostrich, or game species), fat, spices, and vinegar [1,2]. Droëwors is a product produced predominantly for the domestic market, yet the quality of the product varies widely, and it is difficult to formulate quality standards due to the lack of published scientific literature. Animal fat is added into meat products to improve texture, taste, and flavour [5,6], and allows the constant removal of water during drying [7]. Concerns raised by consumers about processed meat products with high levels of saturated fat [8] has led to wide investigations on fat reduction in these products. Consumers demand healthier and high-quality food products, which require lower fat levels whilst flavour and juiciness are maintained. Reduction of fat intake is recommended because of the adverse effects for human health through excessive consumption of fat, such as obesity and coronary heart diseases [9,10]
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