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 CIE L* decreased, whereas fat content, antioxidant activity, and CIE a* increased. When pineapple and fig powders were added, the moisture, antioxidant activity, CIE L*, protein degradation, and tenderness of the sausages increased. As the incorporation of pineapple and fig powders increased, the pH, fat, CIE a*, 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 consumers due to tenderness, protein degradation, and high nutritional index.