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.