Utilization of Raw Pork Skins in Reduced Fat Fresh Pork Sausage

Summary and ImplicationsThe effects of fat, raw pork skinand added water on the color, yield,texture and palatability of fresh porksausage were investigated. Fresh porksausage was produced to contain 8percent and 20 percent fat, 10 percentor 20 percent pork skin and zero per-cent or 10 percent added water. Threecontrols were produced at 8 percent,20 percent and 35 percent fat with noadded pork skin or water. Sausagewith added pork skins had increasedpH values. The 8 percent fat sausageand sausage without added water hadthe greatest cook yields, while theaddition of pork skin did not affectcook yield. Pork skins and added wa-ter caused sausage to be lighter incolor. Redness of the sausage wassimilar for 20 percent fat/20 percentpork skin sausage compared to the 35percent fat control. Kramer shear val-ues indicated added water made sau-sage softer. Added pork skin did notaffect Kramer shear values. A sensorypanel rated 10 percent pork skin sau-sage more tender than sausage with 20percent pork skin. Sausage with 8 per-cent fat and 10 percent pork skin wasrated higher for juiciness and overallacceptability when compared to 8 per-cent fat sausage with 20 percent porkskin and 20 percent fat sausage at bothadded pork skin levels. Pork skinswere successfully incorporated intoreduced fat-fresh pork sausage. Pro-duction of acceptable reduced-fat porksausage with added pork skins wouldincrease the demand for this pork sau-sage and add value to a by-product ofthe pork industry.IntroductionFresh pork sausage is a commi-nuted meat product that has remainedrelatively unaffected by the drive toreduce-fat content in processed meats.United States Department of Agricul-ture regulations state fresh pork sau-sage may contain no more than 50percent fat. Technology to reduce fatfor this product is being investigated.Reduced- or low-fat meat prod-ucts tend to be less juicy, less desirablein flavor and less tender when com-pared to higher fat products. Consum-ers, however, continue to demand lowerfat content in foods. The challenge isto produce reduced-fat meat productsthat also maintain acceptable sensorycharacteristics so consumers can pur-chase meat products meeting both theirdietary and palatability desires. Thereduction of fat in fresh pork sausageoffers new products for consumers whodemand less fat in meat products. Thefunctionality of pork skins (a by-prod-uct pork processing) may be importantfor use in reduced-fat meat producttechnology through improved palat-ability. Utilization of this by-productwould increase profitability for opera-tions generating pork skins.The purpose of this study was todetermine the effects of fat, pork skinand added water on fresh pork sausageyield, color, texture and palatability.MethodsFresh pork skins from hams wereobtained from a commercial proces-sor. The skins were cut into strips,ground to .5 in, spread on plastic-linedmetal trays and frozen (-18