Liver sausage is flavorful and highly nutritious. However, liver has a relatively
short shelf life due to acceleration of oxidation in the presence of endogenous
enzymes and metals. Powders derived from natural sources, including plants or
fruits, are applied to meat products for inhibiting oxidation without adverse
effects on their quality. Hence, this study investigated the effects of natural
powders derived from green tea leaf (GTL), lotus leaf (LL), and kimchi (KC) on
the quality and change in lipid oxidation and freshness of chicken liver
sausages during two weeks of storage. Chicken liver sausages were manufactured
with chicken breast (70%) and liver (20%), pork back fat
(5%), iced water (5%), various additives, and GTL, LL, and KC [0
(control) or 1%]. They were processed in three batches. For determination
of the quality characteristics of chicken liver sausages with various plant
powders, pH, color, and texture properties were assessed. In addition, lipid
oxidation and freshness using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)
and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) were analyzed at day 0 and week 2 of
refrigerated storage. Higher values were obtained for pH and cooking yield in
sausage samples with LL and KC powders than in samples with the other
treatments. For a* values, the sausage samples with KC showed similar
(
p
> 0.05) values, whilst others had significantly
lower values than the control. The addition of the three powders to sausage
samples induced an increase (
p
< 0.05) in hardness,
gumminess, and chewiness. The addition of plant powders did not influence TBARS
and TVBN of sausage samples at the initial stage. However, after two weeks of
storage, significantly lower TBARS and TVBN values were observed, and the
sausage with KC (
p
< 0.05) showed the lowest values of
both TBARS and TVBN. The results showed the potential ability of the three
powders to improve the quality and inhibit lipid oxidation in liver sausages.
Particularly, the addition of KC did not adversely affect the a* values of
sausage samples. The effects on sensory properties and inhibition mechanisms of
GTL, LL, and KC in meat products should be further studied.