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This study investigated the use of cricket flour in frankfurters as a meat replacer and its impact on nutritional, technological, structural, and sensory characteristics. Four treatments were prepared with different concentrations of cricket flour (Control, CF2.5, CF5.0, and CF7.5). There was a significantly high protein content in treatments with cricket flour addition, but without change in the fat content. The CF7.5 treatment showed significantly high SFA and PUFA contents, but there was no significant impact on MUFA content, compared with control treatment. Cricket flour significantly improved the contents of zinc, calcium, and manganese but not that of sodium. The processing loss of reformulated frankfurters was significantly reduced. Reformulated frankfurters were brownish in color compared with the control, which affected the sensory scores of those treatments. No effect on the structural characteristics of frankfurters were observed. The CF2.5 treatment appeared to be the best alternative for using edible insects in frankfurters.

[Aim] To describe patient characteristics, effectiveness and safety in a real-world population treated with niraparib in the Spanish expanded-access programme., [Patients and methods] This retrospective observational study included women with platinum-sensitive recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer who received maintenance niraparib within the Spanish niraparib expanded-access programme. Eligible patients had received ≥2 previous lines of platinum-containing therapy, remained platinum-sensitive after the penultimate line of platinum and had responded to the most recent platinum-containing therapy. Niraparib dosing was at the treating physician's discretion (300 mg/day fixed starting dose or individualised starting dose [ISD] according to baseline body weight and platelet count). Safety, impact of dose adjustments, patient characteristics and effectiveness were analysed using data extracted from medical records., [Results] Among 316 eligible patients, 80% had BRCA wild-type tumours and 66% received an ISD. Median niraparib duration was 7.8 months. The most common adverse events typically occurred within 3 months of starting niraparib. Median progression-free survival was 8.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.6–10.0) months. One- and 2-year overall survival rates were 86% (95% CI 81–89%) and 65% (95% CI 59–70%), respectively. Dose interruptions, dose reductions, haematological toxicities and asthenia/fatigue were less common with ISD than fixed starting dose niraparib, but progression-free survival was similar irrespective of dosing strategy. Subsequent therapy included platinum in 71% of patients who received further treatment., [Conclusion] Outcomes in this large real-world dataset of niraparib-treated patients are consistent with phase III trials, providing reassuring evidence of the tolerability and activity of niraparib maintenance therapy for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer., [ClinicalTrials.gov registration] NCT04546373.

Over the past few decades, meat products have been associated with some negative health impacts. It is well known that consumer habits have been changing and they are looking for healthier and more nutritive foods. In this perspective, reformulation of meat products is needed, by adding bioactive ingredients or through elimination/reduction of harmful ingredients. The use of seeds and their byproducts is an important alternative for the valorization of agrifood wastes and to add value to compounds that may have no commercial interest. The interest in using them in meat products has been growing in respect to making them healthier. In addition, it is a remarkable opportunity for meat industries as innovative and sustainable companies. Bioactive compounds extracted from seeds and their byproducts have been used in meat products due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and to extend product shelf-life. The incorporation of seed byproducts such as flour and/or oils also has been studied, aiming to improve the fiber content, as fat replacers, and to change the fatty acid profile. Therefore this chapter aims to analyze recent studies into the use of seeds and byproducts in meat product reformulation, focusing on their impacts on the nutritional, sensory, microbiological, and technological properties.

This article evaluates the use of emulsion gels (EGs) containing two different solid polyphenol extracts [from grape seed (R-EPG) or grape seed and olive (R-EPGO)] as animal fat replacers in the development of frankfurters. The incorporation of EGs improved their lipid content, particularly R-EPG and R-EPGO also contained high levels of phenolic compounds (hydroxytyrosol and flavanols). These frankfurters were judged acceptable by the panellists and showed good thermal and storage stability. Colour parameters, pH and textural properties were affected (p < 0.05) by the formulation, being significant the influence of polyphenols extracts. Spectroscopic results showed greater (p < 0.05) inter- and intramolecular lipid disorder in the frankfurters with EGs, irrespective of the presence of polyphenol extracts. Comparing the reduced-fat samples, R-EPG and R-EPGO showed the lowest (p < 0.05) total viable counts. Significant changes in pH and texture parameters were observed during chilled storage while lipid structure was not affected.

Polyphenols have interesting antioxidant properties and could help prevent certain diseases. Emulsion gels (EGs) have characteristics that make them a promising alternative system for supplying several bioactive compounds simultaneously, among them polyphenols. We produced four EGs containing olive oil, soy protein and a cold gelling agent based on alginate. One basic formulation (ES) contained only these ingredients and was used as a reference, while the other three also contained different solid polyphenol extracts from grape seed (G), grape seed and olive (O) or grape total (T), called ESG, ESO and EST, respectively. The corresponding EGs were prepared by mixing soy protein, alginate, water and one of these types of polyphenol extract (G, O or T), using a homogenizer. Then, the olive oil was gradually added to the mixture and finally, each mixture was placed in a metal container under pressure and chilled for 24 h until they formed an EG. The composition (including concentrations of phenolic metabolites), and technological and structural properties of these EGs were evaluated. Hydroxytyrosol was identified in all the EGs, but ESO showed the highest (P < 0.05) content. The EGs with added polyphenols showed contents of gallic acid, flavanol monomers and derivatives, with ESG showing the highest (P < 0.05) content. All the EGs showed optimal thermal stability, while colour and texture parameters were significantly influenced by the type of polyphenol extract added. No significant differences in the frequency or half-bandwidth of the 2923 and 2853 cm−1 infrared bands were observed.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy, which is mainly due to late-stage diagnosis and chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, new and more effective treatments are urgently needed. The in vitro effects of Panobinostat (LBH), a histone deacetylase inhibitor that exerts pleiotropic antitumor effects but induces autophagy, in combination with Chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor that avoid this cell survival mechanism, were evaluated in 4 OC cell lines. LBH and CQ inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, and a strong synergistic effect was observed when combined. Deeping into their mechanisms of action we show that, in addition to autophagy modulation, treatment with CQ increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), whereas LBH inhibited their repair by avoiding the correct recruitment of the recombinase Rad51 to DSBs. Interestingly, CQ-induced DSBs and cell death caused by CQ/LBH combination were largely abolished by the ROS scavenger N-Acetylcysteine, revealing the critical role of DSB generation in CQ/LBH-induced lethality. This role was also manifested by the synergy found when we combined CQ with Mirin, a well-known homologous recombination repair inhibitor. Altogether, our results provide a rationale for the clinical investigation of CQ/LBH combination in ovarian cancer.

Society today is calling for optimized lipid content in meat products in line with health recommendations and nutritional guidelines. The meat product reformulation strategies offering the biggest advantages in improving lipid content are based on replacing animal fat with lipid materials featuring solid-fat characteristics that are created using gelling procedures containing vegetable and/or marine oils. From among different gelling lipid materials, special attention is being paid to emulsion gels (EGs) and oil bulking agents (OBAs) owing to their composition and technological advantages in the development of healthier meat products. Both gelling lipid materials can be effectively used as fat analogues in different healthier meat products. The properties of these products reformulated with EGs and OBAs are not adversely affected.

This study evaluated the effects of E. faecium CECT 410 inoculation, either as free cells (CFC) or in alginate beads (CALG), on the ripening and storage of dry-fermented sausages. Both formulations presented acceptable weight losses during ripening. In both the CFC and CALG treatments, pH values were lower (P < 0.05) at the end of the ripening and storage stages. Dry-fermented sausages with the incorporation of probiotics via alginate beads had higher (P < 0.05) protein and fat, but lower (P < 0.05) moisture content. The addition of E. faecium CECT 410 did not affect lipid oxidation in dry-fermented sausages. Counts of E. faecium CECT 410 were higher than 7 log CFU g−1 during the ripening and storage periods, except in the control (CC), in which it was not detected as a natural microbiota. Altogether, the addition of E. faecium CECT 410, both as free cells (CFC) and in alginate beads (CALG), was effective at producing probiotic dry-fermented sausages.

Meat and meat products can be contaminated by physical hazards, which are a big concern for meat industries. The incidence of physical hazards in meat products from 2016 to 2018 in Brazil have been investigated through a website (Reclame Aqui) used by consumers to express their dissatisfaction. A total of 408 consumers' complaints were found involving the presence of physical hazards in meat and meat products. The greatest percentage of complaints was found in sausages (fresh, dried, and cooked sausages such as Linguiça Calabresa, Linguiça Portuguesa, and Linguiça Toscana, among others; 33.33%) followed by hamburgers (17.89%), fresh chicken meat (12.25%), and chicken nuggets (9.80%). Fewer consumers’ complaints were found in fresh pork meat (0.49%), fresh bovine meat (0.49%), and chopped ham (0.49%). The presence of bones (26.96%) was the major physical hazard found in meat products followed by plastic (25.24%), insect (11.26%), and metal (8.82%). Results indicated that even with quality programs implemented in the industry such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Hygienic Practices, sometimes failures on processing line, packaging, commercialization, and service inspection can happen. Nonetheless, in order to detect physical hazards in meat products, the use of new technologies such as metal detector, sensors, and X-ray equipment by meat processors is extremely recommended.

The influence of the probiotic strain “Lactobacillus plantarum TN8” bacterium and dietary fiber, namely barley beta-glucan concentrate (BBC), in raw beef sausage on microbiological, color and textural analyses was studied using a Box- Behnken design. Twenty seven treatments representing different replacement levels for meat and sodium nitrite with the L. plantarum TN8 strain and BBC fiber were studied. Results showed that reformulated sausages contained low levels of nitrite even at 0.1% application and the probiotic strain decreased the microbial load for up to 10 days at 4 °C. The newly formulated sausages affected positively a* and b* values. The optimized conditions (75 g/kg meat; 0.1 g/kg nitrite, 0.25% fiber and 5 × 107 CFU/g of probiotic TN8) in the final product decreased chewiness and elasticity. These parameters were influenced by fiber and nitrite levels including interactions.

Modern omics technologies allow us to obtain global information on different types of biological networks. However, integrating these different types of analyses into a coherent framework for a comprehensive biological interpretation remains challenging. Here, we present a conceptual framework that integrates protein interaction, phosphoproteomics, and transcriptomics data. Applying this method to analyze HRAS signaling from different subcellular compartments shows that spatially defined networks contribute specific functions to HRAS signaling. Changes in HRAS protein interactions at different sites lead to different kinase activation patterns that differentially regulate gene transcription. HRASmediated signaling is the strongest from the cell membrane, but it regulates the largest number of genes from the endoplasmic reticulum. The integrated networks provide a topologically and functionally resolved view of HRAS signaling. They reveal distinct HRAS functions including the control of cell migration from the endoplasmic reticulum and TP53-dependent cell survival when signaling from the Golgi apparatus.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of a combination of probiotic strains namely, Lactobacillus plantarum TN8 and Pediococcus acidilactici MA 18/5M and dietary fiber on microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of sausages stored at 4 °C up to 12 days. L. plantarum TN8 might be a potential food additive in the meat industry as a probiotic agent. Microbial counts revealed a decrease in Enterobacteriaceae of inoculated sausages, which reached values below 2 log CFU/g in the stored product. Reformulated sausages recorded good textural attributes and improved sensory features. At the end of storage period, sausages with different probiotic strains decreased the b* color parameter and cooking loss when compared with control samples. Sensorial and color parameters could be used for constructing regression models to predict overall acceptability. On the other hand, the free fatty acid profile was significantly affected by probiotic strains. Overall, the inclusion of two probiotic strains and fiber improved the hygienic quality and sensorial features of sausages.

This paper examines the effect of emulsion gels (EG) prepared with chia (CEG) and oats (OEG) used as animal fat replacers in reduced-fat fresh sausages (longaniza) (LRF) during chilled storage. Reduced-fat samples were reformulated with CEG and OEG, (LRF/CEG and LRF/OEG respectively). Normal (LNF/P) and reduced-fat (LRF/P) (all-pork-fat) sausages were used as controls. Nutritional composition and microbiological, technological and sensory characteristics of sausages were evaluated. The presence of an EG affected (P < 0.05) the concentrations of some minerals and amino acids in sausages. CEG improved MUFA and PUFA contents. Cooking loss was lower (P < 0.05) in LRF/CEG and LRF/OEG than in the controls. Of all the reduced-fat samples, Kramer shear force values (KSF) were highest (P < 0.05) in the ones containing an EG. KSF generally increased (P < 0.05) over storage in all samples. The microbial count was significantly affected by the use of CEG. Sensory properties were affected by the incorporation of an EG, but all sausages were judged acceptable.

Emulsion gels (EGs) offer interesting possibilities for structuring edible oils and obtaining ingredients with solid-like mechanical characteristics and depending on the ingredients used with healthier properties. In that context, the aim of this study was to develop EGs with chia oil, alginate (as cold gelling agent) and different plant derivatives (oat bran, soy protein isolate and chia flour) with both health benefits and appropriate properties for use for example as animal fat replacers in reduced-fat meat products. To that end, technological properties (pH, colour, texture, etc.) and lipid structure, determined by Raman spectroscopy, were investigated in various chia oil emulsion gels (EGs) prepared with chia oil, alginate and soy protein isolate (SEG), oat bran (OEG) or chia flour (CEG). No noticeable release of exudates was observed in chia oil EGs after processing. pH, colour and textural behaviour (evaluated as puncture force and gel strength) differed (p < 0.05) depending on the composition of the plant ingredients (soy protein, oat bran or chia flour) that contain these EGs. Raman spectroscopic results, particularly significant differences found in area and I/I, revealed differences depending on EG composition in the lipid structure and interactions in terms of lipid acyl chain mobility (order/disorder). These lipid structural characteristics of chia oil EGs correlated significantly with a specific textural feature. The results suggest that chia oil EGs could be developed for use as healthier lipid ingredients in new food systems such as healthier meat products.

Vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and infrared spectroscopies) offers conformational information about different meat components (proteins, lipids, water, etc.) at the same time and has several advantages over quality traditional methods in that it is direct and noninvasive and requires small portions of sample. Raman and infrared spectroscopies combined with chemometric analysis have been used to determine meat composition, particularly fat content and fatty acid composition. However, the relevant applications of these spectroscopic techniques to assess meat quality should be noted, as compared with conventional methods used with this aim such as sensory analysis, physicochemical and microbiological methods, as well as the evaluation of meat adulteration.

This work investigates the effects of partial nitrite substitution by the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum TN8, on the quality and safety of beef sausages during 10 days of storage at 4 °C. The obtained results revealed that the texture was affected in terms of a reduction of hardness, springiness and chewiness. Color ratio a*/b* was also significantly affected (P < 0.05), while the L* parameter displayed similar results as compared to control. According to nutritional values of beef sausage, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed while a significant decrease in pH values in sausage formulated with TN8 strain were reported due to the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Finally, our study demonstrated that TN8 strain addition at 7 log CFU/g can be used as a biopreservative for beef sausage by decreasing the growth of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes and maintaining lipid oxidation. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the incorporation of TN8 strain into beef sausage formulation could be an interesting strategy to produce healthier sausage by lowering nitrite levels.

Different strategies were examined for incorporation of chia flour (10%) and olive oil to improve the fat content in frankfurters. Nutritional composition, technological properties, sensory and microbiological analyses were studied as affected by the strategy used and by chilling storage. Chia increased total dietary fibre (98% insoluble dietary fibre) and minerals (K, Mg, Ca, Mn) irrespective of the incorporation strategy. Fat and energy content reduction (>. 26%) were achieved in all frankfurters reformulated with chia and olive oil. Chia addition increased linolenic acid and reduced processing and purge in all samples. Lightness and redness of frankfurters were affected by the presence of chia, but there was no clear evidence of influence by the mode of addition. Frankfurter texture was influenced by the strategy used to incorporate chia and olive oil and by chilling storage. Samples were judged acceptable and contained low microorganism levels. Frankfurters containing chia were suitable for labelling with certain nutrition and health claims.

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. This paper reviews the approaches taken to stabilize and structure edible oils in order to promote solid-lipid functionality for use as an alternative to animal fat for the development of healthy lipid meat products. Interesterification and organogelation processes, the formation of oil bulking agents and the creation of structured emulsions (hydrogelled emulsion and organogelled emulsion) are described as strategies for the stabilization and structuring of edible liquid oils. Different aspects related to their composition, preparation and structural organization are described as well as their utilization in meat product formulation.

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This paper reports on the development of olive oil-in-water emulsion gels containing chia (Salvia hispanica L.) (flour or seed) and cold gelling agents (transglutaminase, alginate or gelatin). The technological and structural characteristics of these emulsion gels were evaluated. Both structural and technological changes in emulsion gels resulting from chilled storage were also determined. The color and texture of emulsion gels depend on both the cold gelling agents used and chilled storage. Lipid oxidation increased (p < 0.05) during storage in emulsion gels containing transglutaminase or alginate. Analyses of the half-bandwidth of the 2923 cm-1 band and the area of the 3220 cm-1 band suggest that the order/disorder of the oil lipid chain related to lipid interactions and droplet size in the emulsion gels could be decisive in determining their textural properties. The half-bandwidth of 2923 cm-1 band and area of 3220 cm-1 band did not show significant differences during chilled storage.

Background: In recent years, probiotic foods have received special attention. The most commonly used probiotic microorganisms are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and to a lesser degree, Enterococcus and Pediococcus due to their importance for consumer health. Probiotics have also been used as food bioprotectors. Scopes and approach: This review addresses the potential use of different probiotic delivery strategies for use in meat products to guarantee the viability of the microorganisms throughout the different stages of processing, conservation and preparation, the aim being to obtain probiotic meat products (in some cases even combined with prebiotics) with a positive impact on consumer health. Key findings and conclusions: In the case of meat products, these studies have mostly focused on fermented meats and, to a lesser degree, on cooked frankfurter-type products or fresh products because the processing to which they are subjected does not guarantee full viability of the microorganisms. Traditionally, starters as free cells have been used to incorporate these microorganisms into meat products. More recently, new microorganism immobilization techniques such as encapsulation have been tested. These new strategies ensure enhanced viability even in meat products subject to thermal treatment during processing or cooking.

Nearly 50% of human malignancies exhibit unregulated RAS-ERK signaling; inhibiting it is a valid strategy for antineoplastic intervention. Upon activation, ERK dimerize, which is essential for ERK extranuclear, but not for nuclear, signaling. Here, we describe a small molecule inhibitor for ERK dimerization that, without affecting ERK phosphorylation, forestalls tumorigenesis driven by RAS-ERK pathway oncogenes. This compound is unaffected by resistance mechanisms that hamper classical RAS-ERK pathway inhibitors. Thus, ERK dimerization inhibitors provide the proof of principle for two understudied concepts in cancer therapy: (1) the blockade of sub-localization-specific sub-signals, rather than total signals, as a means of impeding oncogenic RAS-ERK signaling and (2) targeting regulatory protein-protein interactions, rather than catalytic activities, as an approach for producing effective antitumor agents.

Lipid and polysaccharide interactions in various polysaccharide gels prepared for use as oil bulking agents were investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Two different polysaccharide gel matrices containing olive oil were prepared using mixed biopolymer systems of alginate with inulin (OM-A/I) or dextrin (OM-A/D). Stability and textural properties were also evaluated in these matrices. Thermal stability of the different matrices was optimal. The textural behaviour of polysaccharide matrices with olive oil incorporated differed depending on the polysaccharide gels used in their formulation. OM-A/I presented the highest ( P<0.05) hardness, adhesiveness, and chewiness. These matrices were stabilized by hydrogen bonding between oil carbonyl groups and water and/or carbohydrate molecules. Lipid acyl chains are relatively fixed through hydrogen bonding and intermolecular order upon micelle formation. Raman spectroscopic results also showed carbohydrate-water hydrogen bonding, in which inulin seemed to be more strongly bonded to water than dextrin. This difference in the structural behaviour of inulin and dextrin in terms of hydrogen bonding to water may explain the differences in textural properties. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

The breaking strength (BS) and energy to fracture (EF) of commercial cooked meat products (CMP) manufactured from different entire pieces were determined by tensile test. BS and EF were related to texture profile analysis (TPA) and physico-chemical data. Two textural profiles were characterized mainly by BS, springiness adhesiveness and fat content. Multivariate regression analysis confirms that TPA parameters could be used to construct models to predict BS and EF. Therefore, just one TPA analysis will allow to obtain both TPA and tensile parameters, providing valuable information about mechanical behaviour to improve product handling at industrial level especially in sliced CMP. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

This paper evaluates the nutritional values and stability during refrigerated storage of fresh beef merguez sausage as affected by a reformulation process which modified the fat content both by reducing fat (replacing beef fat with konjac gel) and incorporating olive oil (replacing beef fat with olive oil stabilized in a konjac matrix) and by reducing sodium content, replacing sodium chloride with a salt mixture (containing potassium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride). A preservative (sodium metabisulphite) was also used to extend the shelf-life of the product. The fat was reduced by 32 to 80% and sodium by over 36%. The reformulation did not negatively affect the sensory evaluation. Low microbiota growth rate and biogenic amines were attributed mainly to the presence of sodium metabisulphite. This preservative could be used in the reformulation to enhance safety and/or extend the shelf-life of this type of product. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

The aim of this paper was to prepare and characterise multiple emulsions and assess their utility as pork backfat replacers in meat gel/emulsion model systems. In order to improve the fat content (in quantitative and qualitative terms) pork backfat was replaced by a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion (W1/O/W2) prepared with olive oil (as lipid phase), polyglycerol ester of polyricinoleic acid (PGPR) as a lipophilic emulsifier, and sodium caseinate (SC) and whey protein concentrate (WP) as hydrophilic emulsifiers. The emulsion properties (particle size and distribution, stability, microstructure) and meat model system characteristics (composition, texture, fat and water binding properties, and colour) of the W1/O/W2, as affected by reformulation, were evaluated. Multiple emulsions showed a well-defined monomodal distribution. Freshly prepared multiple emulsions showed good thermal stability (better using SC) with no creaming. The meat systems had good water and fat binding properties irrespective of formulation. The effect on texture by replacement of pork backfat by W1/O/W2 emulsions generally depends on the type of double emulsion (associated with the hydrophilic emulsifier used in its formulation) and the fat level in the meat system. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The paper reports a study of the physicochemical, rheological and microstructural properties of konjac gels (rehydratated without heat as a cold-set gel) for use as fat replacers in the formulation of reduced/low fat meat products as affected by chilled storage and freezing/thawing. The konjac gel (KG) showed high stability under chilling storage conditions. Water binding capacity (WBC) of KG ranged between 87 and 90%, with no changes (P > 0.05) during chilling storage. Texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters were not affected (P > 0.05) by chilling storage. The rheological behaviour and microstructure confirm the excellent chilling storage-stability of KGs. Freezing/thawing process strongly affected the KG characteristics, with a substantial decrease (P < 0.05) of WBC and increased (P < 0.05) hardness and chewiness, with major morphological changes; however, there were no appreciable changes attributable to frozen storage. The effects of freezing/thawing on fat analogue texture seems to be largely overcome by heating. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

In order to improve the fat content of fresh sausages (merguez), the effects of both reducing beef fat level (by konjac gel-KG) and incorporing olive oil (in a konjac matrix-OKM) on nutritional, quality characteristic and refrigerated storage stability were studied. Fat reductions in merguez sausages of between 53 and 76% were achieved when beef fat was replaced with KG; the proportion reached 34-49% using OKM as a beef fat replacer, where 23 to 36% of total fat in the merguez was from olive oil. The merguez contained substantial amounts of some minerals (Mg and Fe). Sensory analysis revealed no significant differences between the control and the reformulated products, which had relatively low levels of lipid oxidation. Shelf life and biogenic amines of merguez sausage were not affected by formulation during refrigerated storage. Therefore, the use of konjac materials as fat replacers could reduce total caloric energy by replacing/reducing beef fat and improving sausage formulation to achieve healthier merguez products. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Dry fermented sausage (> Chorizo>) was reformulated to produce better lipid compositions (reduced fat content and improved fatty acid profile) by replacing the pork backfat by a healthier oil combination (olive, linseed and fish oils) stabilized in a konjac matrix. Proximate analysis, fatty acid profiles, lipid oxidation and sensory analysis were studied. The fat content was 99-130 g/kg in the low-fat versus 316 g/kg in the normal fat sausages. The incorporation of an oil-in-konjac matrix reduced (P < 0.05) saturated fatty acid content and increased (P < 0.05) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), improving the n-6/. n-3 ratio in dry sausage. Reducing fat decreased (P < 0.05) hardness and increased (P < 0.05) cohesiveness, with no effect (P > 0.05) on springiness and chewiness. The reformulation process produced a decrease (P < 0.05) in all sensorial parameters, compared with the control sample, although in all the sausages appearance, flavour and juiciness scored above the middle value on the hedonic scale. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

A healthier oil combination (olive, linseed and fish oils) stabilized in a konjac matrix was used as pork fat replacement to reformulate low-fat, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) enriched dry fermented sausage (> chorizo> ). Different characteristics were studied during chilled storage: pH, weight loss, water activity, texture profile, lipid oxidation, microbiological changes and biogenic amines formation. The pH values of the dry sausage were not affected (P > 0.05) by the sausage formulation and storage period and a minor effect on weight loss was observed. The water activity (a w) values ranged from 0.856 to 0.896. Hardness increased (P < 0.05) during chilling storage. Lipid oxidation increased (P < 0.05) with storage time, more noticeably in samples with higher PUFA content. No limitations related to microbiological aspects and the formation of biogenic amines were found as an effect of the formulation strategy and chilled storage. Reformulation affected the presence of tyramine and cadaverine. The biogenic amines concentration generally increased (P < 0.05) with storage time (mainly in tyramine, histamine, putrescine and cadaverine), although the increase varied with formulation and storage period. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

The effect of replacing animal fat (0%, 50% and 80% of pork backfat) by an equal proportion of konjac gel, on processing and quality characteristics of reduced and low-fat dry fermented sausage was studied. Weight loss, pH, and water activity of the sausage were affected (P. <. 0.05) by fat reduction and processing time. Low lipid oxidation levels were observed during processing time irrespective of the dry sausage formulation. The fat content for normal-fat (NF), reduced-fat (RF) and low-fat (LF) sausages was 29.96%, 19.69% and 13.79%, respectively. This means an energy reduction of about 14.8% for RF and 24.5% for LF. As the fat content decreases there is an increase (P. <. 0.05) in hardness and chewiness and a decrease (P. <. 0.05) in cohesiveness. No differences were appreciated (P. >. 0.05) in the presence of microorganisms as a result of the reformulation. The sensory panel considered that NF and RF products had acceptable sensory characteristics. © 2012 .

The paper reports a study of the characteristics of konjac gel fat analogue as compared to types of pork fat for use in fat reduction strategies for meat products. Various characteristics-colour, mechanical/rheological behaviour and thermal properties-of pork fats (backfat-PBF and trimmed fat-PTF) and konjac gel (KFG) with different physical structures (intact or ground to 4 and 8. mm) were studied. Pork fat melting processes were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at above- and below-zero temperature ranges with PBF and PTF always showing similar net results. KFG did not show any thermal event in the range from -40 to 100 °C except the freezing/melting of its constitutional water. While water and fat binding properties of pork fats were affected by fat type and structural disintegration (ranging between 0 and 77%), in all cases KFG presented excellent thermal water binding (<1%). As compared to KFG, PBF showed greater (P < 0.05) hardness, chewiness, penetration force, gel strength, extrusion force and work of extrusion. These differences were minimized after grinding. Kramer shear values in KFG were greater (P < 0.05) than in PBF when this was ground to 4. mm, but lower (P < 0.05) at 8. mm. The highest Kramer shear values (P < 0.05) were recorded in PTF irrespective of the degree of disintegration. Rheological analyses indicate that the behaviour of KFG, which is thermally stable, is predominantly elastic during heating and exhibits rheological thermal behaviour (at over 40 °C) similar to that of pork backfat. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

This paper reports a FT-IR study for probing lipid and protein structural changes and their interactions in various oil-in-wateremulsions. Two different emulsions were prepared using sodium caseinate, as stabilizer system, without and with microbial transglutaminase (MTG), denominated E/SC and E/SC + MTG respectively. Proximate composition, fat and water binding properties and textural characteristics were also evaluated in the emulsions. Penetration force and gel strength values were used to distinguish different (P < 0.05) textural behaviours depending on the formulation of emulsifying system. E/SC + MTG emulsion showed gel textural behaviour while E/SC lack of this property. The spectral results showed frequency upshifting of the amide I band in going from protein stabilizer systems isolate (the solution used as reference) to their corresponding emulsions, what is attributable to greater protein structural order upon emulsion formation. Enzymatic action of MTG in the sodium caseinate stabilizing system induces structural changes, in terms of lipid chain disorder or lipid–proteininteractions and protein secondary modifications, which may reflect the formation of a gel structure in the emulsion. These results could help to choose the stabilizing system that is most suitable and effective for its use in the formulation of food products.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of emulsified olive oil stabilizing systems used for pork backfat replacement on frankfurter characteristics. The oil-in-water emulsions were stabilized with various protein systems formulated using sodium caseinate, soy protein isolate, meat protein and microbial transglutaminase. These emulsions presented excellent fat and water binding properties, with no noticeable release of exudate after heating. Penetration parameters differentiated several types of rheological behaviour in oil-in-water emulsions as affected by the emulsified olive oil stabilizing system. Generally frankfurters made with the different oil-in-water emulsions presented good water and fat binding properties, greater (P<0.05) hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness and poorer (P<0.05) adhesiveness than control (all pork fat) frankfurters. Matrix morphological characteristics of frankfurters were affected by the type of oil-in-water emulsions used as non-meat ingredients. General acceptability scores of frankfurters prepared with the olive oil-in-water emulsions were similar to those of samples formulated with all pork fat. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

The viability of using microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) as a cold-set binder for restructuring and manufacturing deboned dry ham (RDH) was evaluated. The influence of meat pre-treatment, preparation of the MTGase, packing system and set temperature on the binding rate and force was tested using pork models and deboned legs. The best binding parameters were obtained when meat surfaces were evenly distributed with salts (NaCl, KNO3, NaNO2) and then washed with a saline solution (W), afterwards powder (P) or liquid (L) MTGase was applied, and simultaneous salting and vacuum packing (S) set at 7 °C were performed. The RDH manufactured following these procedures (WPS and WLS) was stable during drying and could resist the handling and production process. Binding force increased (p < 0.05) during 8 weeks of drying. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed an increase of cross-links during the drying period of RDH related to the increase in binding force. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A stress-relaxation test was developed for frozen stored Cape hake (M. capensis and M. paradoxus) to be used as a quality assessment tool. Fish was compressed by 5% and deformation was kept constant for 60 s. The resulting relaxation curves were fitted to different multiexponential regression models. A three-term exponential fit without a residual term was chosen as the best model. Relaxation parameters from this test correlated well with sensory texture attributes derived from the quality index method (QIM). The high degree of correlation (0.90) suggests that these relaxation parameters could be used as markers for evaluating textural quality of frozen Cape hake, replacing sensory assessment. The regression model was: STA = 0.117 + 0.967 RP (where STA = PC1 from sensory texture attributes and RP = PC1 from relaxation parameters), with P < 0.001. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.