Irish seaweed species in processed meat products (sausages): characterisation, fat and salt reduction, and sensory acceptability studies
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Date
2024
Authors
Mohammed, Halimah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University College Cork
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Abstract
Consumers are becoming more aware of the negative impacts of excessive fat and salt consumption on their overall health. One of the primary food groups contributing to this is processed meat products, such as sausages. The primary objective of this thesis was to assess the use of Irish brown (sea spaghetti (SS) and Irish wakame (IW)) and red (dulse (PP) and nori) seaweed species as potential reducers/replacers of fat and salt in sausages using sensory (hedonic and intensity) and physicochemical indicators. A survey on attitudes towards seaweeds and seaweed-food products indicated most Irish consumers trusted new foods and had consumed either seaweed or seaweed-containing products, which indicated a positive reaction towards the consumption of new seaweed food products. Seaweeds were initially characterised based on their nutritional, bioactive, thermogravimetric and technological properties. Seaweed species in this study represented potential nutritional and dietary sources of protein, amino acids, dietary fibre, minerals and health-promoting bioactive antioxidant compounds. Subsequently, these seaweed species were incorporated into pork sausages at 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% to determine acceptable inclusion levels from a sensory perspective. PP's maximum acceptable inclusion level was 1.0%, and 2.5% was for SS, IW, and nori. These seaweeds were further incorporated into reduced-fat (20%, 15% and 10%) and -salt (1.5%, 1.0% and 0.5%) pork sausages at selected maximum levels. The physicochemical and sensory characteristics of reformulated sausages were analysed. Subsequently, shelf-life evaluation (lipid oxidation and microbiological analysis) was performed on selected formulations stored under aerobic (AP), MAP70/30 (70% N2:30% CO2), MAP80/20 (80% O2:20% CO2) and vacuum (VP) conditions. Based on sensory results, sausage formulations were selected: SS10f/0.5s, IW15f/1s, PP10f/0.5s and nori10f/1.0s. MAP70/30 and VP were the most effective packaging systems in controlling lipid oxidation and microbial growth. A consumer acceptability study comparing optimised seaweed reduced-fat and -salt sausages against experimental (EC) and commercial (CC) controls was carried out, and results clearly showed that consumers preferred control sausage samples to reduced-fat and -salt seaweed-containing sausages. An odour-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE) strategy employing bacon stimuli (0.08%) was then assessed to determine if this approach might improve the acceptability of the least liked consumer seaweed sausage formulation (nori10f/1.0s). The bacon stimuli did not enhance the saltiness perception of nori10f/1.0s, but interestingly, it positively influenced the saltiness flavour of reduced-fat and -salt sausages (C2B).
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Keywords
Seaweed , Sausages , Fat reduction , Salt reduction , Packaging , OISE , Sensory analysis , Lipid oxidation , Microbiological analysis , Consumers
Citation
Mohammed, H. 2024. Irish seaweed species in processed meat products (sausages): characterisation, fat and salt reduction, and sensory acceptability studies. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.