Quality Improvement of Goat Meat-Fermented Sausage Using Pineapple and Fig Powders For the Elderly

The physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of goat meat-fermented sausages were investigated by incorporating different concentrations of pineapple and fig powders (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5%). During processing, moisture, pH, and lightness decreased, whereas fat content, antioxidant activity, and redness increased. When pineapple and fig powders were added, the moisture, antioxidant activity, lightness, protein degradation, and tenderness of the sausages increased. As the incorporation of pineapple and fig powders increased, the pH, fat, redness, protein, total plate count, metmyoglobin, and residual nitrite content of the sausages decreased. In particular, the addition of 0.5% pineapple powder strongly decreased the pH, total plate count, metmyoglobin, and residual nitrite content, and increased protein degradation. The inclusion of 0.5% fig powder significantly decreased fat content and increased tenderness. In addition, 0.1% pineapple and 0.25% fig powder-treated sausages indicated good nutritional indices in the fatty acid profile. However, the incorporation of 0.5% pineapple and 0.25% fig powders resulted in the highest overall acceptance rates. Based on these investigations, pineapple and fig powder-treated goat meat fermented sausages could fulfil the nutritional requirements of the elderly as well as consumers due to tenderness, protein degradation, and high nutritional index.