Chia oleogel as a potential fat substitute in cooked meat sausages.

Meat products reformulation is very complicated since the “charcuterie” is more than a technology. The addition of new ingredients is not an easy task; therefore, preliminary assays are carried out to determine their feasibility. Oleogels are "new ingredients" used as saturated fat substitutes in meat products. Chia oil was used as a fatty ingredient to produce an oleogel (COG), which was used as pork backfat substitute (substitution level 0, 25, 50, and 75%) in a Frankfurter-type sausage. To evaluate the feasibility of this substitution, several physicochemical parameters were determined: 2-Thiobarbiturc acid test (TBA), moisture, fat, pH, water activity (Aw), and residual nitrite level (RNL). The last 3 parameters were evaluated during storage time (21 days). RNL was not detected in samples with COG. Samples with 75% COG showed higher moisture than the others. All samples with COG showed higher pH (without changes during storage time) and lower Aw values than the control. Samples with 50 and 75% COG substitution showed higher TBA values than the others. All samples showed similar fat content (22.35-23.85 g fat/100 g). Thus, this chia oleogel was successfully applied (at 50%) in Frankfurter-type sausages, highlighting its effect on the RNL.

FEDER/MCI-Spain, AEI. AGL2016-75687-C2-2-R (MCI/AEI/FEDER/UE). HealthyMeat network, CYTED-119RT0568.