Amorphous cellulose gel as a fat substitute in fermented sausages Paulo Cezar Bastianello Campagnol a, ⁎, Bibiana Alves dos Santos a , Roger Wagner b , Nelcindo Nascimento Terra b , Marise Aparecida Rodrigues Pollonio a a Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CEP 13083-862, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil b Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil abstract article info Article history: Received 31 January 2011 Received in revised form 27 May 2011 Accepted 27 May 2011 Keywords: Fermented sausages Amorphous cellulose Low fat Volatile compounds Fermented sausages were produced with 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of their pork back fat content replaced by amorphous cellulose gel. The sausage production was monitored with physical, chemical and microbiological analyses. The final products were submitted to a consumer study, and the volatile compounds of the final products were extracted by solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by GC/MS. The reformulated fermented sausages had significant reductions in fat and cholesterol, and the volatile compounds derived from lipid oxidation were also reduced in the final products. These results suggest that the substitution of up to 50% of the pork back fat content by amorphous cellulose gel can be accomplished without a loss of product quality, enabling the production of fermented sausages with the levels of fat and cholesterol decreased by approximately 45% and 15%, respectively. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Fermented sausages are characterized by a high level of animal fat. The fat content, which initially ranges between 10% and 20%, increases to values exceeding 30% of the final product due to the dehydration that occurs during the manufacturing process (Wirth, 1988). The fat in the final product greatly influences the quality of fermented sausage. The sensory characteristics of fermented sausage are highly depen- dent on lipid degradation products, which change into aromatic and flavor compounds during maturation (Ordóñez, Hierro, Bruna, & de la Hoz, 1999). Studies with fermented sausages made with reduced fat levels have shown significant reductions in sensory acceptance (Mendoza, García, Casas, & Selgas, 2001; Muguerza, Fista, Ansorena, Astiasarán, & Bloukas, 2002). In addition to loss of aroma and taste, the decrease in sensory acceptability may be associated with other properties of fat that are present in this meat product, such as appearance, tenderness, juiciness and overall palatability (Wirth, 1988). With regard to the technological aspect of producing the sausages, fat helps control the release of moisture from the inner layer of the product, which is a necessary step for efficient fermentation and flavor development (Wirth, 1988). In addition, fat has an important role in reducing manufacturing costs because it generally has less economic value than lean meat. Moreover, the increase in fat levels lowers the weight loss during processing, which increases profits (Muguerza et al., 2002; Papadima & Bloukas, 1999). Fat also has an important role in the nutritional quality of meat products because it is the source of liposoluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. However, the most commonly used fat in fermented sausages has a high level of saturated fatty acids due to its capacity to remain solid at room temperature (Terra, Terra, & Terra, 2004). The high level of saturated fatty acids constitutes a major nutritional problem because governmental agencies recommend reduced satu- rated fat consumption as a way to reduce risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases (British Nutrition Foundation, 2009; Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, 2003), which are the principal cause of death in developed countries (World Health Organization, 2009). Therefore, from a nutritional point of view, it is necessary to reduce the level of fat in fermented sausages. However, in addition to being economically unfeasible for the meat industry, this reduction is also unacceptable due to the technological and sensory functions of this component. Therefore, the substitution of animal fat with ingredients that have similar technological functions and that retain the sensory characteristics of sausage is a promising alternative to produce a healthier fermented sausage. Amorphous cellulose, which is obtained from cereals, is an insoluble fiber that is used as a fat substitute in foods. Amorphous cellulose is free of any flavor and has no caloric value. Moreover, this ingredient can be directly incorporated in the form of a powder, or it can be added in the form of a gel (Chung & Min, 2004). Due to its high water retention capacity, amorphous cellulose increases viscosity, which confers a sensory property of succulence and a texture similar to that of fat (Torres, 2002). Amorphous cellulose has already been successfully used to reduce fat levels in cheeses, hamburgers and baking products (Cho & Prosky, 1999; Warner & Inglett, 1997). Meat Science 90 (2012) 36–42 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: + 55 19 3521 4016. E-mail address: paulocampagnol@yahoo.com.br (P.C.B. Campagnol). 0309-1740/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.05.026 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Meat Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/meatsci