TITLE:
Quality Evaluation of Low-Fat Pork Sausages Using Quinoa Flour and Gum Arabic from Acacia senegal var. kerensis
AUTHORS:
Martha Bosibori Ombonga, Mary Nyambeki Omwamba, Benard Odhiambo Oloo
KEYWORDS:
Pork Sausages, Quinoa Flour, Gum Arabic, Physicochemical Properties, Textural Properties
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
12,
2024
ABSTRACT: Pork sausages contain significantly high amounts of saturated fat and they have been linked to various cardiovascular diseases. Fat substitutes used to reduce the amount of saturated fat include starch, gums, soy, plant oils, cereal-based substitutes like chia and oats. Due to modification, such sausages have been reported to have undesirable sensory and physicochemical properties, such as hardening and lowered emulsion stability. Quinoa is a nutritious pseudo cereal comprising all the essential amino acids and has been shown to have good binding abilities. However, its potential has not yet been fully utilized in product development, especially in the meat industry. This research study aimed to investigate the effect of quinoa flour and gum Arabic on the physicochemical, nutritional, and textural properties of pork sausages. Quinoa flour was used in sausage formulation to partially substitute pork fat, while gum Arabic from Acacia senegal var. kerensis was used to stabilize the emulsion. The resulting sausages were analyzed for crude protein, crude fat, moisture, expressible moisture, pH, in vitro protein digestibility, and texture. The results indicated that, increase in the levels of quinoa flour significantly (p