Effect of Flavourzyme on proteolysis, antioxidant capacity and sensory attributes of Chinese sausage

• Commercially made Chinese sausage has problems of flavor deficiency.
• Flavourzyme addition accelerated protein degradation in Chinese sausage.
• Flavourzyme addition improved sensory properties of Chinese sausage.
• Lipids in sausage can be oxidized easily, leading to deterioration of products.
• Flavourzyme addition enhanced antioxidant capacity of Chinese sausage.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Flavourzyme, at levels of 0 (control) 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 LAPU/kg raw meat, on the proteolysis, antioxidant capacity and sensory attributes of Chinese sausage made at 50 °C for 48 h. Results showed that Flavourzyme addition in Chinese sausage accelerated protein degradation, which was reflected by the increase of non-protein nitrogen and appearance of new protein bands in both water-soluble and salt-soluble proteins. By adding Flavourzyme, texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters decreased significantly, and aroma, taste and texture scores were enhanced, respectively. The best sensory attributes were obtained at 8 and 12 LAPU/kg Flavourzyme dose. Besides, Flavourzyme addition enhanced antioxidant capacity, lowered water activity and TBARS values of Chinese sausage. Therefore, moderate Flavourzyme addition is a novel method with great potential to improve eating properties and storage stability of Chinese sausage.