The effect of psyllium (Plantago ovata Forsk) fibres on the mechanical and physicochemical characteristics of plant-based sausages.

Psyllium is a source of natural dietary fibre with recognised health benefits that can be used as a hydrocolloid with functional food applications. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of Plantago ovata fibres in plant-based sausages on their composition, physicochemical, and mechanical properties. Proximate composition was studied. Water activity (aw), water release, pH, colour measurement, texture profile analysis (TPA), and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) were determined to establish the physicochemical and textural properties of sausages. A plant-based sausages microstructure study and a sensory study were carried out to better understand conformation and to determine their acceptance. The results showed that sausages had high ash and carbohydrate contents but, above all, a low-fat content. The use of psyllium increased water-holding capacity. The results also indicated that employing Plantago ovata white (PW) fibre can minimise mechanical problems and reduce colour changes. However, PW fibre showed less retained water, which was why chickpea starch further developed and was more gelatinised. At the same time, the plant-based sausages with PW fibre obtained the best overall score with the fewest colour changes in the sensory evaluation. Nevertheless, further studies are recommended to improve the texture and acceptability of these plant-based sausages. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00217-022-04063-2.

Green or clean? Perception of clean label plant-based products by omnivorous, vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers.

Consumers are increasingly interested in health and sustainability aspects of their diets. Meat reduction diets have gained popularity with some consumers, leading to an increase in plant-based products in the markets. Additionally, the demand for more natural and healthier products is associated with the clean label trend. But how these two trends relate to each other, has not yet been widely investigated. The aim of the present research was to explore the perception of different consumers (vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and omnivores), towards clean label, plant-based products in order to better understand their motivations and attitudes. Consumers in Spain, followers of these four diets, participated in a projective mapping task - categorisation of twenty plant-based products (ten clean label and ten original products) - and answered a health and sustainability attitudes survey. The results showed that according to the diet followed by the consumers, they categorised and perceived the products differently, in line with their attitudes. Meat-reducer and avoider consumers paid more attention to quality and health and presented a greater concern for animal welfare and sustainability. Also, they focused on the clean label status for product categorization, while omnivores did not separate between original and clean label products. The present study shows a first exploration of how consumers with different relation to meat (frequent consumption-reduction-avoidance) perceive clean label plant-based products, in relation to their attitudes to health and sustainability, a building block on the way to support consumers in the transition to healthier, more sustainable diets.

Development of potentiometric equipment for the identification of altered dry-cured hams: A preliminary study.

Microbiological contamination in dry-cured ham can occur in the early stages of the process, a large number of microorganisms involved in spoilage can produce alterations in the product. These include non-common odours, which are detected at the end of the process by a procedure called "cala", consisting of a sharp instrument punctured in every ham; this is smelled by an expert taster, who classifies hams as good and altered hams. An electronic device would be suitable for this process given the large amount of hams. The present research aims to develop objective equipment based on the potentiometry technique that identifies altered hams. A probe was developed, containing silver, nickel and copper electrodes, and was employed to classify altered and unaltered hams prior to classification by a tester. The results shown lower Ag and higher Cu potential values for altered hams. The differences in potentiometric response reveal a classification model, although further studies are required to obtain a reliable classification model.

Classification of unaltered and altered dry-cured ham by impedance spectroscopy: a preliminary study.

The aims of this work were characterized by the physicochemical and microbiological features of dried-cured hams classified by the manufacturer as altered (deep spoilage and swollen) and unaltered, as well as, correlated these results with the electronic measurements of impedance spectroscopy, in order to lay the groundwork to design a suitable electrode to be used for checking in line all dry-cured ham elaborated. Double electrode and coaxial needle electrode were used in a frequency range of 100Hz to 1MHz. The electronic measurements of the two electrodes were able undoubtedly to discriminate between altered and unaltered dry-cured hams; moreover a tendency to classify between deep spoilage and swollen hams was shown. The values into the range of frequencies between 100Hz-1000Hz, for both electrodes, showed the best clustering results. More studies are needed to select the best electrode which can be transformed in a robust and versatile electrode which could be used for checking in line all dry-cured ham elaborated.

Physicochemical properties and microbiology of dry-cured loins obtained by partial sodium replacement with potassium, calcium and magnesium.

The partial replacement of sodium chloride by other chloride salts has been proposed as a possible strategy to reduce the sodium content of cured meat products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect brought about by partial replacement of NaCl with KCl, CaCl(2) and MgCl(2) on physicochemical and microbiological parameters of dry-cured pork loin after the curing and drying process. The replacement of around 70% NaCl significantly increased the hardness and chewiness of dry-cured loins but it is possible to obtain low sodium dry-cured loin, up to 45% substitution by potassium (25%), calcium (15%) and magnesium (5%), with no significant effects either on the physicochemical characteristics or the microbial counts compared with the traditional product with the usual amounts of sodium chloride.