Reduction of sodium chloride levels in emulsified lamb sausages: The effect of lamb plasma protein on the gel properties, sensory characteristics, and microstructure.

Reduced sodium emulsified lamb sausages produced using addition of lamb plasma protein were evaluated for gel properties, sensory attributes, and microstructures. Hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, redness, yellowness, juiciness, and overall acceptability values of the emulsified lamb sausages containing 1.5% sodium chloride and more than 3% lamb plasma protein were significantly ( p<0.05) higher than values for sausages with 3.5% sodium chloride and no plasma protein. Sensory attributes indicated that lamb sausages with addition of 4% plasma protein and 1.5% sodium chloride had the greatest overall acceptability. Matrix morphological characteristics of sausages were affected by addition of plasma protein and sodium chloride. Lamb plasma protein enhanced the gel properties of emulsified lamb sausages and improved the sensory quality, providing a method to reduce the sodium chloride content of emulsified sausage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]