Effects of replacing pork backfat with emulsified vegetable oil on fatty acid composition and quality of UK-style sausages N. Asuming-Bediako a, ⁎, M.H. Jaspal b , K. Hallett c , J. Bayntun c , A. Baker c , P.R. Sheard c a CSIR-Animal Research Institute, P. O. Box AH 20, Achimota, Accra, Ghana b University of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan c University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Sciences, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK abstract article info Article history: Received 3 February 2013 Received in revised form 26 June 2013 Accepted 28 June 2013 Keywords: Emulsion Sausage Saturated fat Sunflower Rapeseed Rapeseed and sunflower oil were used to replace pork backfat in UK-style sausages by incorporating the oils as pre-formed emulsions. Replacing the pork backfat emulsion with rapeseed emulsion at total fat content of about 12%, reduced total saturated fatty acid (SFA) composition from 38% to 14% (4.5 to 1.8 g/100 g), increased monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) composition from 45% to 59% and increased polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition from 15% to 25%. Partial replacement of pork backfat with rapeseed at a fat content of about 20% reduced SFA from 38% to 24% (7.2 to 4.8 g/100 g). There were no significant differences in eating quality and overall liking other than slight differences in the attributes ‘firmness’ and ‘particle size’. Improvement in the fatty acid composition was achieved without adversely affecting colour shelf life or lipid oxidation. The study suggests that a substantial reduction in SFA can be achieved by incorporating ‘healthy’ oils in UK-style sausages without adversely affecting eating quality or shelf life. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Throughout the European Union, governments as well as health advocates are encouraging food manufacturers to improve the health of consumers by improving the nutritional characteristics of processed food products. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been working with industry to formulate foods with less salt and fat (FSA, 2009a,b). An emphasis has been placed on the re- duction of saturated fat since it is not beneficial to human health (FSA, 2009b; Ospina-E, Sierra-C, Ochoa, Perez-Alvarez, & Fernandez-Lopez, 2012). According to the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, meat and meat products contribute 26% to the saturated fat intake (FSA, 2009a). Lean meat has a relatively low fat content, typically b 5% (e.g. Chan, Brown, Church, & Buss, 1995; Wood & Enser, 1997). By contrast, com- mon meat products such as burgers and sausages have relatively high levels of fat and saturated fat (Chan, Brown, Church, & Buss, 1996). For example, a survey of UK-style sausages reported an average fat content of 23.2 g/100 g in standard sausages which, on average, contained 8.92 g/100 g of saturated fat (FSA, 2003). Similar levels of fat and saturated fat are present in burgers (Chan et al., 1996). Previous data from this laboratory has shown that the saturated fat content in adipose tissue is about 46.7, 40.2 and 54.7% in beef, pork and lamb fat, respectively with similar levels in muscle lipid (Enser, Hallet, Hewitt, Fursey, & Wood, 1996). Most meat products, therefore, contain relatively high levels of saturated fat. It is, therefore, impossible to achieve the saturated fat content (b 1.5 g/100 g) required to achieve a green label under the FSA Traffic Light labelling scheme (FSA, 2007) unless total fat is less than about 3%. Most meat products, therefore, carry a red label for saturated fat (N 5 g/100 g) under this scheme, as well as for total fat (N 20 g/100 g). Generally, the food industry has reacted well to calls to reformulate foods by developing meat products with lower fat and lower saturated fat. The reductions in fat and saturated fat have usually been achieved by increasing the lean meat content, or by replacing fat with water combined with a hydrophilic fat replacer. However, reducing fat can have deleterious effects on eating quality (reducing flavour and juiciness, and modifying the texture) and can also increase costs (e.g. Jimenez-Colmerero, Carballo, & Cofrades, 2001; Jimenez- Colmenero, 2000, 2007). An alternative approach to reducing saturated fatty acid content is to replace some of the animal fat by healthier oils that are low in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (e.g. Muguerza, Gimeno, Ansorena, & Astiasaran, 2004). Rapeseed and sunflower oils, for example, contain b 10% SFA. Olive oil has been widely used (e.g. Ansorena & Astiasaran, 2004; Bloukas & Paneras, 1993; Hur, Jins, & Kim, 2008). Various meat products have been re-formulated this way, adding the oil as a liquid or as a pre-formed emulsion (e.g. Ambrosiasdis, Vareltzis, & Georgakis, 1996; Bishop, Olson, & Knipe, 1993; Bloukas, Paneras, & Fournitzis, 1997; Jimenez-Colmenero, 2007; Liu, Huffman, Egbert, McCaskey, & Liu, Meat Science 96 (2014) 187–194 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +233 244233895. E-mail address: nikkiabed@yahoo.com (N. Asuming-Bediako). 0309-1740/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.06.031 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Meat Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/meatsci