Changes in water activity, free fatty acids, peroxide number, fat content, moisture content, color, and appearance of beef sausage with corn oil replacement and sodium erythorbate addition during storage period

Abstract

Sausage is widely recognized as a popular processed meat product in contemporary society. The oil frequently used in emulsions is palm oil which is high in saturated fatty acids. To develop a healthier alternative, corn oil replacement process was implemented in the sausage formulation. This study aims to identify the changes in water activity, peroxide number, free fatty acids, fat content, moisture content, color, and appearance in beef sausage with corn oil replacement and the addition of sodium erythorbate during storage period. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software and presented in a two-dimensional line graph included with trendline, linear equation, and correlation coefficient (R²) to observe the changes in parameters over the storage period. The results indicated that the water activity of the sausage ranged from 0.716 - 0.791; free fatty acids ranged from 0.63% - 1.00%; peroxide number ranged from 0.012 meq/kg - 0.053 meq/kg; fat content ranged from 10.17% - 14.70%; and moisture content ranged from 11.86% - 15.26%. Based on this research, it can be concluded that the addition of sodium erythorbate into beef sausage inhibits the rate of fat oxidation during storage. This conclusion is supported by the changes in peroxide number, free fatty acids, and fat content that varied among treatments. Throughout the storage period, the addition of sodium erythorbate positively affected the oxidative stability of beef sausage with corn oil replacement.