Sausage Formulations and Effects of Addition of Different Non-Meat Ingredients on Sausages - A Review -

Sausage is chopped or ground meat that has been blended with spices and other seasonings and usually stuffed in natural or manufactured casings. Sausage making evolved as an effort to economize and preserve meat that could not be consumed fresh at slaughter. Non-meat ingredients are used to impart flavor, slow bacterial growth and increase the yield of the sausage. These include water, salt, sugar, nonfat dry milk, extenders and binders, and spices. In sausage making, qual¬ity standards are maintained while using most parts of the animal carcass. Sausage is a convenient food available in a great number of varieties and flavors. Sausages are an excellent source of high quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids in appropriate amounts neces¬sary for growth, maintenance and repair of body tissue. Sausage also provides significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. In this review development of sausage production practices and effects of incorporation of the different non-meat ingredient on meat products specially meat sausages were discussed. The beneficial effects of added ingredients viz. vegetable protein, whey protein, herbs, fibers and spices in meat products especially meat sausages were discussed along with quality of meat products. Further, the addition of non-meat ingredients not only improve the quality of the meat products, but also reduce the cost and have beneficial health effects on consumers.