Possibilities of using the continuous type of UV light on the surface of lor (whey) cheese: impacts on mould growth, oxidative stability, sensory and colour attributes during storage.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that the optimum doses of a continuous type of ultraviolet (UV) light applied to the surface of lor (whey) cheese needs to be identified to maximize mould inactivation and shelf life while minimizing quality deterioration. Therefore, the mould inactivation, protein and lipid oxidation products, sensory and colour attributes of lor cheese subjected to different doses of UV light (1.617, 4.018, and 36.832 kJ/m2) in a continuous type of UV system were evaluated. UV treated samples presented mould counts lower than those of untreated ones. UV treatment at more than 4.018 kJ/m2 allowed around 0.7-2.7 log reductions on mould growth during storage. The increase in UV light dose caused significant increases in primary and secondary lipid oxidation products. In particular, the highest doses applied to the surface of cheese samples had the highest values of protein carbonyls, as well as lipid oxidation products. Strong positive correlations were recorded between lipid and protein oxidation markers. Exposure to the highest doses of UV light increased foreign flavour perception, probably due to the oxidative reactions. The results indicated that the application of UV light to the lor cheese surface allowed delaying mould growth during storage but extreme doses could induce lipid and protein oxidation reactions, leading to quality deterioration.

Chemical, technological, instrumental, microstructural, oxidative and sensory properties of emulsified sausages formulated with microparticulated whey protein to substitute animal fat.

The current study was conducted to investigate the utilization of microparticulated whey protein (MWP) in different levels (5% or 10%) as partial fat replacers in emulsified beef sausage formulations. Inclusion of MWP resulted in sausages having decreased amounts of fat and energy while increased amounts of protein. Both emulsion stability and processing yield were the highest in samples containing MWP. No differences were recorded in L* values of the sausages although both a* and b* values were higher in MWP sausages than in full-fat sausages regardless of MWP level. Increased amounts of MWP led to lower hardness, chewiness and adhesiveness. Micrographs brought out the organized and reticulated structure of the sausages containing 10% MWP. MWP did not cause unfavorable impacts in general sensory acceptance, besides, it was associated with increased oxidative stability. Overall, the findings highlighted the favorable effects of MWP in terms of nutritional, technological, sensory and oxidative quality indicating the possibility to design low-fat emulsified meat product formulations.

Design of healthier beef sausage formulations by hazelnut-based pre-emulsion systems as fat substitutes.

In the present study, incorporation of pre-emulsified hazelnut oil (HO) plus hazelnut powder (HP) into sausage formulations as beef fat substitutes was investigated. Totally nine different treatments were formulated where beef fat (BF) was replaced with 0%, 50%, or 100% pre-emulsified HO with the addition of 0%, 3%, or 6% HP. Although pre-emulsion containing sausages had a higher lipid amount than BF containing sausages, SFAs went down from 47.2% to 13.6% while MUFAs increased from 41.8% to 71.3%, and PUFAs increased from 3.7% to 11.23% in sausages where BF was totally replaced. HO pre-emulsions were effective to improve nutritional ratios (P:S, IA, and IT) by means of lipid modification. Generally, no significant differences were recorded in textural and sensory parameters. Oxidative and technological quality could be maintained by HP addition to sausages with HO pre-emulsions. Consequently, the utilization of pre-emulsified HO and HP presented a good opportunity for introducing healthier oils and protecting the overall quality of emulsified meat products.