Sensory and physicochemical quality of 'frescal' sausage from young bulls' meat fed with levels of licuri cake

The study evaluated the quality of 'frescal' sausage obtained from bulls fed diets containing various amounts of licuri cake. Thirty-two young Nellore bulls averaging 24 months in age and with an initial body weight of 368 +/- 32kg were housed in individual pens and distributed in a randomised experimental design with four treatments: 0, 7, 14 or 21% licuri cake inclusion in dry matter content of the diet. The inclusion of licuri cake in the diets of the bulls did not affect the chemical composition (p > .05). However, there was a linear increase (p=.033) in the cooking weight loss of the sausage. There were no effect of licuri cake inclusion in young bulls diet on pH (p = .097), lightness L* (p = .602) and yellowness b* (p = .692) of the 'frescal' sausage manufactured; however, there was a quadratic effect on the redness a* (p = .035) and chrome C* (p = .033). The panellists preferred the appearance of the sausage without licuri cake inclusion. There was no difference between 0% and 14% levels (DM basis) of licuri cake inclusion (p > .05) on aroma, tenderness, juiciness or overall acceptance in frescal' sausage. However, all characteristics were best evaluated in diets without including licuri (0%). It is not recommended licuri cake inclusion as an alternative feed source in the diets of young Nellore bulls because of decrease in redness and saturation (chrome) colour indexes and increase in cooking loss resulting in the reduction of appearance, juiciness and overall acceptance for consumption of frescal' sausage despite without affecting its chemical composition.