New formulations for healthier dry fermented sausages:: a review

An excessive intake of meat products, particularly dry fermented sausages, is not recommended from a health point of view, at least for some population groups, due to their high level of sodium and animal fat. Many efforts of the meat industry are focused on the development of new products with better nutritional properties than traditional ones. KCl, CaCl2, and/or calcium ascorbate, among others, have been assessed as partial substitutes of NaCl, giving products with acceptable sensory quality, smaller amounts of sodium and being sometimes a significant source of potassium or calcium. In relation to fat, recent research has focused on the use of different types of fibres and vegetable oils as partial substitutes of pork backfat. The use of fibres results in low-fat and low-energy products. The use of vegetable oils results in products with healthier fatty acid profiles. Aspects related to improving sensory properties and control of oxidation should be taken into account in future research. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.