Effects of pork gelatin levels on the physicochemical and textural properties of model sausages at different fat levels

• The effects of gelatin on the quality of sausages as affected by fat level were examined.
• Low-fat sausages (<2 g/100 g) with gelatin had good water holding capacity and texture.
• Gelatin reduced the cooking loss and textual hardness in regular-fat sausages (16–17 g/100 g fat).
• The added gelatin might interact with fat and protein in the sausages, depending on the fat level.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of various levels of gelatin on physicochemical and textural properties of sausages at two different fat levels. Sausages with two fat levels were manufactured with three levels of pork-skin gelatin powder (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/100 g) and compared to the low-fat control and reference (1.5 g/100 g soy protein isolate). In low-fat sausages, cooking loss (g/100 g) and textural properties increased with increased gelatin level up to 1.5 g/100 g. Expressible moisture (g/100 g) of sausages with 1.5 g/100 g gelatin was lower than those with the control. Regular-fat sausages prepared with 1.5 g/100 g gelatin had lowest cooking loss. However, textural properties were reduced with increased gelatin levels. Sausages prepared with the addition of less than 0.5 g/100 g gelatin powder did not differ from the control in terms of hardness. These results indicated that gelatin might interact with protein and fat in the sausage mixture, depending on the fat levels, resulting in decreases in expressible moisture, and increases in cooking loss and hardness in low-fat sausages, but decreases in cooking loss and textural properties.