Bigels as Fat Replacers in Fermented Sausages: Physicochemical, Microbiological, Sensory, and Nutritional Characteristics

Abstract

Olive oil bigels structured with monoglycerides, gelatin, and κ-carrageenan were designed for the partial substitution of pork backfat in fermented sausages. Two different bigels were used: bigel B60 consisted of 60% aqueous and 40% lipid phase; and bigel B80 was formulated with 80% aqueous and 20% lipid phase. Three different pork sausage treatments were manufactured: control with 18% pork backfat; treatment SB60 with 9% pork backfat and 9% bigel B60; and treatment SB80 with 9% pork backfat and 9% bigel B80. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses were carried out for all three treatments on 0, 1, 3, 6, and 16 days after sausage preparation. Bigel substitution did not affect water activity or the populations of lactic acid bacteria, total viable counts, Micrococcaceae, and Staphylococcacea during the fermentation and ripening period. Treatments SB60 and SB80 presented higher weight loss during fermentation and higher TBARS values only on day 16 of storage. Consumer sensory evaluation did not identify significant differences among the sausage treatments in color, texture, juiciness, flavor, taste, and overall acceptability. The results show that bigels can be utilized for the formulation of healthier meat products with acceptable microbiological, physicochemical, and organoleptic characteristics.

Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food

“…The bigels exhibited discrete semi-solid particles throughout the sausage, which may also be desirable in other comminuted meat product applications [ 75 ]. In fermented sausages, gelatin and κ-carrageenan hydrogel/monoglycerides and olive oil oleogel bigels were designed for partial pork back fat substitution [ 76 , 94 ]. Two bigels (60 and 80% hydrogel phase) were added at 9% of the sausage weight.…”

“…Two bigels (60 and 80% hydrogel phase) were added at 9% of the sausage weight. Bigel substitution did not affect water activity, or the composition of the bacterial populations, during the fermentation and ripening steps [ 76 ]. A consumer sensory evaluation of these products did not reveal significant differences in color, texture, juiciness, flavor, taste, or overall acceptability between control and treated sausages [ 76 ].…”

“…However, by strategically selecting the organic liquid phase of the bigel, technological and health features can be tailored more effectively. For example, the use of fish, olive, or sesame oil as organogel liquid phases in numerous topical applications provides both structural (as the organogel liquid phase) and functional (e.g., omega-3 free fatty acids) features translatable to food applications [ 10 , 26 , 48 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 60 , 62 , 65 , 76 , 77 ]. In beeswax oleogels, ß-carotene was incorporated as an antioxidant, but it also had a significant impact on the oleogel hardness [ 102 ].…”