The effects of olive oil emulsified alginate on the physico-chemical, sensory, microbial, and fatty acid profiles of low-salt, inulin-enriched sausages

Improved antioxidant properties of pork patties by replacing fat with resveratrol-loaded MP-CS complex stabilized pickering emulsion

The characterization and antioxidant ability of Res-loaded MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion, and its effects of fat reduction (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in meat patties on pH, color, texture, cooking yield and antioxidant activity were investigated. Fat substitute using emulsion had no significant effect on pH and cooking yield. The addition of emulsion increased L* value and reduced a* value. a* value of meat patties with resveratrol added were higher than those without resveratrol group. Hardness and chewiness of meat patties with 25% and 100% fat replacement was lower than 50% and 75% fat replacement. The addition of emulsion could improve the network structure of meat patties and enhance oxidative stability. Oxidative stability of meat patties was improved by Res-loaded MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion. The results showed that MP-CS stabilized Pickering emulsion had great potential to be used as fat substitute for developing low-fat meat products, and the addition of resveratrol can improve the antioxidant ability of substitute fat meat products.

Spanish Fuet Sausages Fat-Reduced to Diminish Boar Taint: Sensory and Technological Quality

Reduced-fat cured sausages were evaluated as a strategy to reduce boar taint in entire male pork products with high levels of androstenone and skatole, both lipophilic. Three fuet-type sausages (two replicates each) were developed: the control (C) (60% lean, 33.69% fat), and two reduced-fat (60% lean 21.19% fat) products; R1, 6% inulin, 0.5% β-glucan and R2, 3% inulin, 0.5% grape skin and 1% β-glucan. All of them were prepared from entire male pork with an androstenone concentration of 6.887 µg/g and 0.520 µg/g of skatole. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.001) in the moisture content were described between the fuet R1 and the C and R2, which obtained the highest percentage. Regarding the CIELAB, the C samples had the highest L* value, while the R2 sausages were the darkest. Boar taint was reduced in both R1 and R2, with a greater reduction in R2 (p ≤ 0.000). The addition of inulin and β-glucan in fuet R1 provided a similar technological and sensory profile to C. However, both strategies provided a reduction of sexual odour, which was higher when grape skins were included. In addition, R2 gave a characteristic sausage with more odour and flavour, dark colour and overall rating than C and R1.

Effect of Chitosan and Alginate-Based Edible Membranes with Oregano Essential Oil and Olive Oil in the Microbiological, Physicochemical and Organoleptic Characteristics of Mutton

Edible chitosan or alginate coatings and their combinations with oregano essential oil or olive oil, have been examined for their effect on the microbiological, physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of mutton. The results indicated that these edible coatings can contribute to maintaining good quality characteristics and extending mutton shelf-life. The total mesophilic counts in mutton ranged from 3.48 to 8.00 log¹⁰ CFU/g, the total psychrophilic counts from 4.00 to 9.50 log¹⁰ CFU/g, the B. thermosphacta counts from 2.30 to 7.77 log¹⁰ CFU/g and the lactic acid bacteria counts from 2.00 to 5.85 log¹⁰ CFU/g. Chitosan coatings significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total mesophilic, the total psychrophilic (1-2 log₁₀ cfu/g), the B. thermosphacta and the lactic acid bacteria counts in mutton. Alginate exhibited a lower L* value and a higher a* value and chroma compared with the control and chitosan lots. No significant differences were observed in the chemical composition of meat pieces among the experimental groups. Oregano oil positively affected the sensory attributes of meat. The most favourable combination, based on the microbiological counts, the organoleptic characteristics and the shelf-life extension of mutton, was that of chitosan with oregano essential oil.

Quality of poultry meat- the practical issues and knowledge based solutions

Animal protein is the most demanded and expensive source of nutritive protein, globally. Taking into account various types of poultry, the broiler (meat-type poultry) is widely accepted by various religious societies and relatively cheap amongst others animal protein sources. In particular, the chicken and turkey product is perceived to be healthier and of better quality due to a low content of fat, cholesterol and sodium compared to red meat. In order to maintain an unabated development and competitiveness of poultry industry, the priority is to focus on quality and safety of meat, during whole production and processing route. Consumers awareness of what should be considered a high quality product is constantly increasing, especially in the light of European and worldwide strategies to meet the common societal and environmental challenges, i.e. addressing the Zero Hunger goals, Green Deal and One Health concept. In this chapter, a common area of interest for a dialogue of poultry scientists and industrial practitioners is drawn from the background given on the consumer (demands and health)-centered issues.

Microbiological Safety and Shelf-Life of Low-Salt Meat Products-A Review

Salt is widely employed in different foods, especially in meat products, due to its very diverse and extended functionality. However, the high intake of sodium chloride in human diet has been under consideration for the last years, because it is related to serious health problems. The meat-processing industry and research institutions are evaluating different strategies to overcome the elevated salt concentrations in products without a quality reduction. Several properties could be directly or indirectly affected by a sodium chloride decrease. Among them, microbial stability could be shifted towards pathogen growth, posing a serious public health threat. Nonetheless, the majority of the literature available focuses attention on the sensorial and technological challenges that salt reduction implies. Thereafter, the need to discuss the consequences for shelf-life and microbial safety should be considered. Hence, this review aims to merge all the available knowledge regarding salt reduction in meat products, providing an assessment on how to obtain low salt products that are sensorily accepted by the consumer, technologically feasible from the perspective of the industry, and, in particular, safe with respect to microbial stability.

Exploring Purchasing Determinants for a Low Fat Content Salami: Are Consumers Willing to Pay for an Additional Premium?

Consumers today are increasingly moving toward healthier lifestyles and food purchasing habits. This new awareness has also prompted the meat industry, usually indicted for the use of harmful compounds and ingredients such as additives, salt, and fat, to introduce innovative measures to meet demand. This study aims to assess consumer willingness to pay an additional price premium (APP) for a healthy salami by identifying which factors are more likely to have an effect on the willingness to purchase, such as socio-demographic and product and market-related attributes. An Ordered Logit model has been applied to define factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay for a low-fat salami. Results show a favorable consumer acceptance of reduced-fat salami conveyed by the willingness of consumers to pay an additional price for this product and confirm that the health awareness of consumers is an important driving force in cured meat marketing strategies.

The Effects of the Progressive Replacement of Meat with Texturized Pea Protein in Low-Fat Frankfurters Made with Olive Oil

There is growing interest in using healthy ingredients for the formulation of meat-based products. Among them, the replacement of pork fat with vegetable oils has attracted much attention. On the other hand, the use of vegetable proteins to replace meat provides multiple possibilities which have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to produce low-fat frankfurters in which all the pork fat had been replaced with olive oil and then to progressively replace (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) the pork with textured pea protein. Texture, color, technological properties such as emulsion stability and cooking loss, proximate composition, and the fatty acid profile were analyzed. The results show that frankfurters made only with olive oil were slightly pale; however, they showed better emulsion stability and a healthier lipid profile than the 100%-meat-based frankfurters. Regarding the replacement of meat with texturized pea protein in the frankfurters made with olive oil, it was possible to replace up to 50% of the meat, and although significant differences were observed in terms of moisture, color, and texture, the product obtained showed similar values to other low-fat frankfurters.

Behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes and Natural Microflora during the Manufacture of Riojano Chorizo (Spanish Dry Cured Sausage)

Riojano chorizo is a dry cured sausage manufactured with traditional technologies without adding starter cultures at low temperatures. Its characteristics differ from other types of chorizo since sugars and nitrites are no added and processing temperatures are low- This work evaluates the behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes during the processing of inoculated Riojano chorizo as well as the natural microflora that can play a technological role or be of interest as indicators. The sausage mixture was inoculated with a cocktail of three selected strains of L. monocytogenes (CECT 932, CECT 934 and CECT 4032) (4 log10 CFU/g) and after processed following the traditional production method. Samples were taken before inoculation, after inoculation, after stuffing (day 0) and on days 6, 13, 21 and 28 of processing. L. monocytogenes, mesophiles, Micrococcaceae, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus, sulfite-reducing clostridia and molds and yeast counts were evaluated. Furthermore, pH, water activity and humidity were determined. No growth of L mocytogenes was observed during the first 6 days, when the temperature of processing was 4 °C. The low temperature in the initial stages was a relevant hurdle to control L. monocytoegenes growth. A significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in L. monocytogenes counts was observed on day 13 compared to the initial counts. During drying (days 6 to 21) a reduction in this pathogen of 1.28 log CFU/g was observed. The low water activity below 0.92 on day 13 and 0.86 on day 21 seems to be critical for the reduction of L. monocytogenes.

Reduced-sodium Vienna sausage: Selected quality characteristics, optimized salt mixture, and commercial scale-up production

Sodium reduction influences the quality of processed meat products that, in turn, affect consumer acceptance. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the texture, color, and sensory acceptability of reduced-sodium Vienna sausage. A three-component mixture design (0-65% NaCl; 35-100% KCl; 0-20% glycine [Gly]) was performed to obtain an optimal salt mixture based on 14 sausage formulations. Mixture response surface plots revealed the optimal reduced-sodium Vienna sausage containing 20.13-65.00% NaCl, 35.00-60.15% KCl, and 0.00-20.00% Gly (this salt mixture constituted 1.35% of the formulation). One optimal laboratory-scale sausage, formulated with 21.43% NaCl, 59.71% KCl, and 18.86% Gly, was further selected for commercial scale-up production (a 25-kg batch). Both laboratory-scale and scale-up products were comparably acceptable (5.9-6.6 vs. 5.9-6.7) for overall liking, flavor, saltiness, and texture, and contained 315.4-333.5 mg sodium/100 g, hence having >25% sodium reduction compared to the control (569.5 mg/100 g) according to US Food and Drugs Administration regulation. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a scale-up production of acceptable reduced-sodium Vienna sausage formulated with a salt mixture of NaCl/KCl/Gly. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Processed meat products are one of the major sources of daily dietary sodium in the form of sodium chloride. Recently, there is an increased demand by consumers for healthier meat products. Of particular interest is finding solutions for sodium reduction in meat products while maintaining sensory properties and consumer acceptance. This study demonstrated that a mixture of KCl and Gly could be used as partial NaCl substitution in the commercial scale-up of Vienna sausages without drastically compromising sensory acceptability.

Technologies for the Production of Meat Products with a Low Sodium Chloride Content and Improved Quality Characteristics-A Review

In recent years, consumer concerns regarding high levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) intake have increased, given the associated risk of cardiovascular disease. This has led food industries to consider lowering the use of sodium in food products. However, it is well known that the addition of NaCl to meat products enhances their quality, including water-holding capacity, emulsification capacity, juiciness, and texture. Thus, it is difficult to completely remove salt from meat products; however, it is possible to reduce the salt content using salt substitutes, flavor enhancers, textural enhancers, or other processing technologies. Several recent studies have also suggested that processing technologies, including hot-boning, high pressure, radiation, and pulsed electric fields, can be used to manufacture meat products with reduced salt content. In conclusion, as the complete removal of NaCl from food products is not possible, combined technologies can be used to reduce the NaCl content of meat products, and the appropriate technology should be chosen and studied according to its effects on the quality of the specific meat product.

Quality of reduced-fat meat emulsion: effect of pre-emulsified duck skin and hydrocolloids

This study explored the impact of reduced-fat meat emulsion with pre-emulsified duck skin and hydrocolloids on physicochemical properties such as cooking loss, emulsion stability, apparent viscosity, protein solubility, and texture profile analysis. Six different reduced-fat meat emulsions were produced: control (pork back fat), T1 (duck skin, DS), T2 (pre-emulsified with duck skin, PDS), T3 (PDS + 2% carrageenan), T4 (PDS + 2% alginate), T5 (PDS + 2% pectin), and T6 (PDS + 2% guar gum). Moisture content, protein content, yellowness, and apparent viscosity of reduced-fat emulsion with PDS and hydrocolloids were all higher (P < 0.05) than control. Cooking loss and emulsion stability of T4 and T6 were lower (P < 0.05) than the control values. Cooking loss and total fluid separation were greatest (P < 0.05) for T5. Fat content of reduced-fat emulsion with PDS was lower (P < 0.05) than that of the control. Meat emulsion comprising PDS with alginate resulted in superior physicochemical properties compared to the other reduced-fat meat emulsion.

Utilization of wheat germ oil and wheat bran fiber as fat replacer for the development of low-fat beef patties

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of wheat germ oil and wheat bran fiber as fat replacers on quality and stability of low-fat beef patties. Total five treatments were prepared by employing wheat germ oil (WGO) and wheat bran fiber (WBF). WBF was used at fixed amount of 3% in all treatments except control in conjunction with varying WGO concentrations as follows: 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5%. Prepared raw and cooked beef patties were stored at 4°C, and further analyses were carried out up to 21 days of storage period with intermittent evaluation interval of 7 days. Higher values of TBARS, peroxide, and cholesterol were observed in raw and cooked beef patties in control, whereas minimum values were found in treatment of beef patties prepared with WGO 4.5% + WBF 3%. The physicochemical parameters were observed by pH and hunter color values. pH was higher in cooked patties as compared to beef patties and showed increases with increase in WGO concentration and storage intervals. The sensorial attributes were observed which included different parameters, such as appearance, texture, taste, odor, and overall acceptability. Higher score was given by the panelists to control for both raw and cooked beef patties; however, minimum score for all sensory properties was found in group treated with WGO 4.5% + WBF 3% within acceptable limit. In nutshell, raw and cooked beef patties treated with WGO 4.5% plus WBF 3% showed better quality, stability, and reduced cholesterol content.

The Effects of Processing and Preservation Technologies on Meat Quality: Sensory and Nutritional Aspects

This review describes the effects of processing and preservation technologies on sensory and nutritional quality of meat products. Physical methods such as dry aging, dry curing, high pressure processing (HPP), conventional cooking, sous-vide cooking and 3D printing are discussed. Chemical and biochemical methods as fermentation, smoking, curing, marination, and reformulation are also reviewed. Their technical limitations, due to loss of sensory quality when nutritional value of these products is improved, are presented and discussed. There are several studies focused either on the nutritional or sensorial quality of the processed meat products, but more studies with an integration of the two aspects are necessary. Combination of different processing and preservation methods leads to better results of sensory quality; thus, further research in combinations of different techniques are necessary, such that the nutritional value of meat is not compromised.

Raw-Cured Spanish Traditional Meat Product "Chistorra de Navarra": Sensory and Composition Quality Standards

The aim of this work was to set the quality standards of the chistorra de Navarra, a raw-cured Spanish traditional meat product, through the study of its sensory and physicochemical features. The quality of chistorra samples, coming from 50 different artisan producers, were assessed during three sessions by expert assessors (n = 15). In the first session, instrumental colour (L*, a*, and b*) and appearance and odour parameters were evaluated in the raw products. In the second session, texture and flavour attributes were determined in cooked products. Finally, in the third session, the best 10 classified chistorras from the first and second sessions were sensorially evaluated and sampled for further analysis: texture (Warner Bratzler and texture profile analysis (TPA)), chemical composition, and fatty acid profile. The chistorras with the highest sensory scores had high shear force values, flavour intensity, and fat/hydroxyproline ratio. The average fatty acid profile obtained for chistorra de Navarra was: 42% saturated fatty acids (SFA), 45% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and 13% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which was similar to the one found in other raw-cured sausages. Considering the sensory evaluation, chistorra was defined as a product with an intense orange colour, and with high resistance value in the initial bite. It was also characterised by a high juiciness and tenderness, aroma, and meat flavour. In mouth, the pork fat, one of the ingredients of chistorra, was balanced without any of the ingredients dominating. Chemically, the chistorra was characterised by a fat content close to 67% (dry matter), low hydroxyproline occurrence (≤0.6), and protein amount ranging 18–38%.

Evaluation of linseed oil oleogels to partially replace pork backfat in fermented sausages

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, fat replacement in meat products is a matter of concern in the meat industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the replacement of pork backfat with two oleogels of linseed in dry-cured sausages.

RESULTS

Five batches of dry-cured sausages were prepared with two oleogels, a mixture of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol (SO) and beeswax (B), at two levels of replacement (20% and 40%) (SO-20, SO-40, B-20, and B-40, respectively) and a control batch. The fatty acid profile improved in terms of nutrition: the polyunsaturated fatty acid / saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) and n-6/n-3 ratio was about 1.41 and 0.93 for the higher levels of replacement, SO-40 and B-40, respectively. Quality parameters such as pH and color also changed with the inclusion of oleogels, resulting in changes in the sensory quality.

CONCLUSION

Oleogels based on linseed enabled the replacement of pork backfat in fermented sausages. Depending on the level of fat substitution, such oleogels could replace fat in dry-cured sausages at the industrial level. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

An overview of the functionality of inulin in meat and poultry products

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of different aspects of inulin functionality in meat and poultry products.

Design/methodology/approach

Several studies on the physiochemical, textural and sensorial effects of inulin incorporated in meat and poultry products as fat replacer and texture modifier were reviewed.

Findings

Inulin is a plant-derived carbohydrate composed of fructose units and glucosyl moieties at the end of the chain that exhibits unique nutritional and technological benefits. Among its main healthy characteristics, it has been reported to reduce the risk of colon cancer, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity, to maintain low levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in serum and stimulate the immune system. As a functional food ingredient, it can be used in various foods as a fat replacer, improves water-holding capacity and emulsion stability, as well as modifying the texture and viscosity of foods. Incorporation of inulin into meat and poultry products can be beneficial in producing low-fat products with desirable texture and sensory attributes.

Originality/value

There are limited reviews regarding the application of inulin in meat and poultry products. In this review, chemical composition and physicochemical properties of inulin, its health effects and various effects of inulin incorporation into meat and poultry products including, physicochemical, textural and sensory characteristics of these products are discussed.

The Ratios of Pre-emulsified Duck Skin for Optimized Processing of Restructured Ham

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of duck ham formulated with duck skin through the pre-emulsification process. The experiments to investigate the quality characteristics of duck ham were carried out to measure proximate composition, cooking loss, emulsion stability, pH, color, texture profile analysis, apparent viscosity, and sensory characteristics. Duck ham was prepared with various ratios of duck skin in pre-emulsion as follows: Control (duct skin 30%), T1 (duck skin 20% + pre-emulsified duck skin 10%), T2 (duck skin 15% + pre-emulsified duck skin 15%), T3 (duck skin 10% + pre-emulsified duck skin 20%), and T4 (pre-emulsified duck skin 30%). As the ratio of duck skin to pre-emulsified skin changed, the quality of duck ham in terms of moisture content, fat content, cooking loss, emulsion stability, lightness, textural analysis, apparent viscosity, and overall acceptability changed. The moisture content of T2 was the highest (p<0.05) and that of the control and T4 was the lowest (p<0.05). The fat content of control was higher than all treatments (p<0.05). T2 had the lowest values in cooking loss, total expressible fluid, fat separation, hardness, springiness, and gumminess (p<0.05). The score of overall acceptability of all treatments with pre-emulsified skin was higher than control (p<0.05). Therefore, the pre-emulsification process can improve the quality characteristics of duck ham and 1:1 ratio of duck skin and pre-emulsified skin was the proper ratio to improve the quality characteristics of duck ham.

Effect of mode of addition of flaxseed oil on the quality characteristics of chicken sausage containing vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids at levels to support a health claim

Vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids can be incorporated into meat products at levels supporting health claims of "protecting against oxidative stress" and "maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels", respectively. Chicken sausages were formulated to contain vitamin E (12 mg per 100 g) and flaxseed oil (2 g per 100 g) using different oil incorporation methods. The formulations were: (1) control (no oil); (2) oil; (3) emulsified oil; (4) freeze-dried encapsulated oil; (5) freeze-dried encapsulated oil with cross-linker genipin; (6) spray-dried encapsulated oil. α-Linolenic acid and α-tocopherol were retained in all fortified formulations at levels to meet nutrient and health claims but emulsification or encapsulation had no additional benefit in retention following cooking or on product quality as measured by proximate composition, lipid oxidation, colour, microbial analysis, cook loss and texture profile analysis. While the addition of flaxseed oil had a negative effect on consumer acceptance of flavour (although not when emulsified), overall acceptance of the chicken sausages was only reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) when oil was encapsulated.

Quality Characteristics of a Low-Fat Beef Patty Enriched by Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamin D3

Olive and linseed oils have high contents of oleic acid and n-3 fatty acids (FA), respectively. Vitamin D₃ , an essential nutrient, is in low contents in meat. This study investigated the potential application of olive and linseed oils' mixture as a backfat replacer, and vitamin D₃ as a supplement, in order to develop a product enriched by polyunsaturated FAs and vitamin D₃ . Two treatments were manufactured: conventional (C: 0% emulsion, 0 μg vitamin D₃ /100 g product) and modified (M: 10.9% emulsion/, 8.3 μg vitamin D₃ /100 g product). The quality characteristics and cooking effects on the FA and vitamin D₃ contents were assessed. The sensory properties of cooked patties were not affected by olive and linseed oils' mixture (P > 0.05). The instrumental textural parameters were lower in cooked M patties (P < 0.01), except springiness (P = 0.766) that was not affected by formulation. The contents of α-linoleic acid in M patty were 19-fold higher than those from C patty. The contents of n-3 and n-6 were higher in M patty (P < 0.05) than in C patty. Although cooking decreased the content of vitamin D₃ in M patty (6.7 compared with 5.2 μg/100 g product), considerable increments were achieved compared to C patty.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

There is an increasing demand of consumers for healthier meat products; therefore, the improvement of their nutritional profile without negatively affecting quality characteristics is key factor for meat sector. This study emphasizes the feasibility of using the combination of olive and linseed oils' mixture and vitamin D₃ to yield new meat products with high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D₃ . The effectiveness of combination of oils mixture and vitamin D₃ tested in this study is proven and the high contribution of vitamin D₃ and some fatty acids of nutritional interest identified.

Health and Safety Considerations of Fermented Sausages

Fermented sausages are highly treasured traditional foods. A large number of distinct sausages with different properties are produced using widely different recipes and manufacturing processes. Over the last years, eating fermented sausages has been associated with potential health hazards due to their high contents of saturated fats, high NaCl content, presence of nitrite and its degradation products such as nitrosamines, and use of smoking which can lead to formation of toxic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Here we review the recent literature regarding possible health effects of the ingredients used in fermented sausages. We also go through attempts to improve the sausages by lowering the content of saturated fats by replacing them with unsaturated fats, reducing the NaCl concentration by partly replacing it with KCl, and the use of selected starter cultures with desirable properties. In addition, we review the food pathogenic microorganisms relevant for fermented sausages(Escherichia coli,Salmonella enterica,Staphylococcus aureus,Listeria monocytogenes,Clostridium botulinum, andToxoplasma gondii)and processing and postprocessing strategies to inhibit their growth and reduce their presence in the products.

New Alternatives in Seafood Restructured Products

A general overview, focusing on new trends in the different techniques used in restructured seafood product processing has been described in this work. Heat-induced gelation has been more widely studied in scientific literature than cold gelation technology. This latter technology includes the use of hydrocolloids (alginates and glucomannan) or enzymes (microbial transglutaminase) for making both raw and cooked restructured products. In restructuration processes, fortification processing with some functional ingredients is studied, giving as a result extra value to the products as well as increasing the variety of new seafood products. The process of alleviating heavy metals and organic pollutants from the raw material used has also been reviewed in the present paper.

Lipid functionalized biopolymers: A review

Lipids are the main source of energy and widely used for various applications. In this review, the modification of lipids by using them in combination with other biomaterials like natural and synthetic polymers is elaborated. These new blends have characteristic features of both polymers and are characterized by different techniques (NMR, DSC, TGA, IR and Raman spectroscopy etc.) to understand their structure, properties and functional behavior. Lipids are hydrophobic, have anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties and thus impart hydrophobicity and flexibility to the polymers. While the polymers, on the other hand, make the lipids tougher. Properties of few polymers such as starch, polyethylene protein and chitosan that have brittleness, low combustion rate and hydrophobicity, are improved by incorporation of lipids ultimately increased their flexibility, combustion rate and hydrophobicity respectively. This review article is also focused on emerging fields for the applications of these composite materials. The most notable application of composite materials are in the field of paint industry.

Quality changes in fresh rohu (Labeo rohita) cutlets added with fibers from ragi, oat and jowar

Purpose

This study aims to develop fiber-enriched cutlets from minced meat of rohu and study the effects of fiber inclusion on composition, cooking properties and acceptability of cutlets.

Design/methodology/approach

Cutlet mix prepared using rohu mince was divided into four lots, out of which three lots were enriched with fibers from ragi (RFC), jowar (JFC) and oat (OFC) at 10 per cent over and above its quantity. Prepared cutlets were analyzed for nutritional composition, texture, cooking properties and sensorial quality.

Findings

Moisture, protein, fat, fiber and ash contents (per cent) of the fiber-enriched cutlets ranged between 40.4-42.0, 24.5-25.5, 13.2-14.7, 1.8-2.0 and 2.4-2.5 per cent, respectively. The addition of fibers increased the cooking yield of cutlets from 84.6 to 87.5 per cent. RFC lot cutlets had the lowest whiteness values and the highest hardness and shear force values. Cutlets from all the lots had an overall acceptability scores more than 7.0, indicating the sensorial acceptability. Although the differences were insignificant, cutlets from the RFC lot were less acceptable, which might be because of the dark color and tough texture. Hence, jowar and oat flour at 10 per cent can be used to enrich rohu cutlets without affecting their sensorial acceptability.

Research limitations/implications

Sources of fiber will be the major limitation in the work, as the fiber inclusion may negatively affect the quality and acceptability of cutlets. Time of cooking will also influence the final product characteristics, which need to be standardized.

Practical implications

Fish is a rich source of protein but lacks fiber, which is essential for body metabolism. Grains are rich source of fibers but lack some essential nutrients required by the body. In India, many people are dependent on fish for protein due to its high nutritious value. So enriching fish meat with fiber sources will address the health-related problems associated with low-fiber diets. The methodology developed in this work can be used to fulfill the demand for balanced and nutritious diet. Because of increasing health awareness, fish products with added fiber will also increase its market potential.

Social implications

The methodology developed can be used by small-scale entrepreneurs to earn more income by developing functional fish products with low-cost ingredients. The developed products will not only address the issues related to the consumption of low-fiber diets but also create a market for fish products because of their health-benefiting effects.

Originality/value

The work is completely original in nature. The results reported are unique and the outcome of the research has social applicability.

Development of functional canned and pouched tuna products added inulin for commercial production

Four formulas of canned tuna in spring water and tuna in mayonnaise and pouched tuna in salad cream and tuna in thousand island cream with added inulin were developed for commercial production. The effects of the addition of a prebiotic (inulin, Orafti®-HP) on the color and sensory properties of these products were studied. For inulin concentrations studied (3, 5, 7 and 10 %, w/w) caused more intensed yellow and red colors. Hedonic sensory values of tuna packed in spring water and in mayonnaise showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among products with different inulin addition levels (3, 5, 7 and 10 %, w/w) in terms of color, flavor, sweetness and overall characteristics. However, when packed in thousand island cream, significant differences (p < 0.05) in color and overall characteristics were found when inulin was added higher than 7 %. Tuna in salad cream showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in color, flavor, sweetness and overall characteristics at higher than 7 % inulin. The panelists showed acceptable overall liking scores at upto 7 % inulin of all tuna products. The thermal sterilization process resulted in approximately 20 % decrease in final inulin content. The calculated residual fructans of finished products at shelf life of 3 years were 3.01, 2.78, 2.90 and 2.84 % for tuna in spring water, tuna in mayonnaise, tuna in thousand island and tuna in salad cream, respectively. Considering formula cost in a commercial production and the recommended daily intake (RDI) of inulin in the finished product at end of shelf life (≥3 g/d), an addition of 5 % inulin for tuna in spring water and 7 % inulin for tuna in mayonnaise, tuna in thousand island and tuna in salad cream are recommended.

Investigation of the Effects of Inulin and β-Glucan on the Physical and Sensory Properties of Low-Fat Beef Burgers Containing Vegetable Oils: Optimisation of the Formulation Using D-Optimal Mixture Design

In this study, the D-optimal mixture design methodology was applied to determine the optimised proportions of inulin, β-glucan and breadcrumbs in formulation of low-fat beef burgers containing pre-emulsified canola and olive oil blend. Also, the effect of each of the ingredients individually as well as their interactions on cooking characteristics, texture, colour and sensory properties of low-fat beef burgers were investigated. The results of this study revealed that the increase of inulin content in the formulations of burgers led to lower cooking yield, moisture retention and increased lightness, overall acceptability, mouldability and desired textural parameters. In contrast, incorporation of β-glucan increased the cooking yield, moisture retention and decreased lightness, overall acceptability, mouldability and desired textural parameters of burger patties. The interaction between inulin and β-glucan improved the cooking characteristics of the burgers without significantly negative effect on the colour or sensory properties. The results of the study clearly stated that the optimum mixture for the burger formulation consisted of (in g per 100 g): inulin 3.1, β-glucan 2.2 and breadcrumbs 2.7. The texture parameters and cooking characteristics were improved by using the mixture of inulin, β-glucan and breadcrumbs, without any negative effects on the sensory properties of the burgers.

Effect of partial replacement of pork meat with an olive oil organogel on the physicochemical and sensory quality of dry-ripened venison sausages

A venison salchichon was made using varying proportions of olive oil to replace the traditional pork meat and to obtain a healthier product. Six types of salchichon were produced. The control type contained 75% lean venison and 25% pork meat; in the other types, 15%, 25%, 35%, 45% and 55% of the pork meat were replaced by olive oil introduced in the form of an organogel (olive oil emulsified with soy protein and water). All types were satisfactory in terms of physicochemical characteristics (pH, a(w), moisture loss) and instrumental colour throughout ripening, and displayed acceptable levels of lipolysis (acidity index) and lipid oxidation (TBARS). Higher proportions of olive oil prompted an increase in monounsaturated fatty acid content (mainly C18:1). All six types of salchichon were judged acceptable by consumers, the highest scores being given to those in which no more than 25% of the pork meat was replaced by olive oil.