Drying Characteristics and Physicochemical Properties of Semi-Dried Restructured Sausage Depend on Initial Moisture Content

Semi-dried restructured sausages are restructured meat products with a high nutritional and economic value. However, excessively long drying times can have negative effects on the energy consumption, texture, and sensory properties of semi-dried restructured sausages. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different water contents on the drying and physicochemical characteristics of semi-dried restructured sausages. Sausages were prepared with different initial moisture contents (0%−50%) and drying time (0−580 min). The drying characteristics, including the drying rate, effective moisture diffusivity, and water activity of sausage were significantly improved as the initial moisture content was increased. When the initial moisture content of the sausage was 50%, physicochemical properties, such as color, porosity, shear force, and volatile basic nitrogen, were improved the most along with the decreased drying time. Scanning electron microscopy data showed greater porosity and pore size in sausages with the increase of initial moisture content. Collectively, our data suggest that an increase in the initial moisture content of semi-dried restructured sausages improves their drying characteristics and physicochemical properties.