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The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic properties of six thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria isolated from cooked meat products. The bacteria were typed, by determination of the DNA sequence of their 16S rRNA coding genes, as one Enterococcus faecium (UAM1 strain) and five Pediococcus pentosaceus (UAM2-UAM6 strains). Under gastric stress conditions the viability of the Pediococci decreased more than five-fold, whereas E. faecium showed a high resistance (61% survival). Exposure to small intestine stress did not drastically affect the survival of any of the strains (less than one-fold decrease), which were able to grow in the presence of 0.3% bile. A hydrophilic surface profile was observed, with higher affinity for chloroform than for xylene. Strains showed high levels of auto-aggregation as well as co-aggregation with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. The adherence of E faecium UAM1 to human Caco-2 cells (around 20%) was significantly higher than that obtained with the P. pentosaceus strains (2%-5%) and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (6%). The overall results indicate that E. faecium UAM1, has probiotic properties that predict its capability to colonize in competition with pathogens in the intestinal tract. This bacterium deserves further investigation for its potential as a component of functional food.

Fruit peels are agroindustrial co-products that can be employed as a source of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds with an effect on the physicochemical and structural characteristics of cooked meat products. The potential of these fruit peels as a functional ingredient in cooked meat products was evaluated. Yield, moisture, expressible moisture, oxidative rancidity and textural profile analysis, besides electron scanning microscopy, were determined in cooked sausages inoculated with thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria. Cactus pear peen flour increased the moisture in the sausages, but in inoculated sausages, lower expressible moisture was observed, resulting in harder but less cohesive and less resilient structure. Cactus pear peel flour decreased the oxidative rancidity during storage. Microstructure analysis showed that the production of exopolysaccharides by the employed strain could explain the differences in the texture results. The use of fruit peels as a source of bioactive compounds (fiber, antioxidants and prebiotic) enhanced the development of thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria in cooked sausages during storage.

The sensory analysis of new products is essential for subsequent acceptance by consumers, moreover in the functional food market. The acceptance and food neophobia of cooked sausages formulated with cactus pear fiber or pineapple pear fiber, as functional ingredient, was complemented with a sensory characterization by R-index and qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA). Female consumers aged between 40 and 50 years showed greater interest in the consumption of healthy foods, with a higher level of food neophobia towards pineapple fiber sausages. R-index for taste was higher in pineapple fiber samples. Cactus pear fiber samples presented higher R-index score for texture. In QDA, color, sweet, astringent and bitter flavors, pork meat smell and a firm and plastic texture were significant, with a good relationship (38%) between the evaluated attributes. Sensory attributes are important on the acceptance and neophobia of functional foods like cooked sausages with fruit peel fiber as functional ingredient.

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Fat and sodium chloride were reduced in a sausage formulation including kappa-carrageenan and other salts, as potassium and calcium chloride, in different concentrations, in order to compensate the ionic strength during myofibrillar protein extraction and solubilisation, and to promote the carrageenan stable conformation and gelation. Four different treatments were employed reducing fat from 15 to 10% and sodium chloride from 2.5 to 1.5% and 1%. Potassium chloride was added at 0.5% to all the treatments, and calcium chloride to 0.5% and 0.01% in the last two. The cooking yield was higher for all the treatments but expressible moisture was not significantly different, meaning that the water is not chemically entrapped by carrageenan at the ionic strength conditions employed. However, since no detrimental cooking losses or fat release were detected, myofibrillar proteins maintain a good functionality at these conditions together with kappa-carrageenan. Low-fat sodium-reduced treatment results were slightly darker but redder than the control, probably due to less fat in the formulation. Textural profile analysis demonstrated that, at the fat level employed and the different sodium, potassium and calcium chloride concentrations, similar textures could be created. Sensory analysis indicated that from the formulations employed, 1.5% NaCl with 0.5% KCl and 0.01% CaCl(2) was similar in controlling flavour (juiciness) and texture (hardness). These results established the possibility to reduce significantly the fat and sodium chloride content employing kappa-carrageenan with potassium and calcium chloride, without detrimental effects on texture and sensory characteristics.

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