PRODUCTION OF LOW-FAT EMULSIFIED COOKED SAUSAGES USING AMORPHOUS CELLULOSE GEL

Emulsified cooked sausages (beef: 52.5%; pork: 15%; and pork back fat: 20%) were produced with 25, 50, 75 or 100% of their pork back fat content replaced by amorphous cellulose gel (ACG). The physicochemical characteristics (chemical composition, color and texture), fatty acid content and sensory profiles were measured. The moisture content increased and the fat content decreased with increasing fat replacement by ACG, which influenced the color and texture parameters. The 100% replacement of pork back fat decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio and increased the contents of vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA-9c11t). Consumers observed no significant differences in color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall acceptance among the treatments. The results indicated that the replacement of up to 100% of pork back fat by ACG can be carried out without prejudice to the acceptance of the product, which allows the preparation of emulsified cooked sausages with fat reduction of approximately 84%. Practical ApplicationsIn this study, we evaluated the use of amorphous cellulose gel (ACG) as a substitute for pork back fat in emulsified cooked sausage. We observed that the ACG did not affect the sensory acceptance, even with 100% replacement of pork back fat. Apart from significant fat reduction, the sausages produced with 0% pork back fat showed a better fatty acid profile. We believe that these findings may be useful for the production of emulsified cooked sausages with healthier characteristics, since besides bringing benefits to the society, it will promote a positive image for the meat industry, which is heavily criticized because of the high fat content of meat products.